Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman - Photo: Collected

DHAKA, Jan 19, 2025 (BSS) - The 89th birth anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was celebrated today in the capital city and elsewhere across the country through various programmes. 

The programme of the birth anniversary of the founding President of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Ziaur Rahman was begun this morning with hoisting the party flag at its central office in Nayapaltan here. 

Later, at 11 am, BNP's senior leaders including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir paid rich tribute to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman by placing floral wreaths at his grave at the city's Sher-e-Banglanagar.

Ziaur Rahman, also the founder of multi-party democracy in Bangladesh, was born on this day (January 19) in 1936 in Bagbari Village of Nashipur Union, of Gabtoli in Bogura district. He was the second of five children of chemist Mansur Rahman and Jahanara Khatun. His nickname was Kamal.

On August 15, 1975, the then President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally murdered by a group of army members. Then, on November 7 through the eventful Sepoy-People Rebellion, Ziaur Rahman came to the center of the state power.

On September 1, 1978, President Ziaur Rahman founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The former President was killed by a group of misguided army members on May 30, 1981.

Marking the 89th birth anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, central BNP held a discussion meeting at the Bangladesh Engineers Institution (IEB) auditorium in Ramna in the capital city this afternoon. 

In addition, a separate discussion meeting was organized at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium in Kakrail at 3pm today by BNP's front and associate organizations. 

Dhaka North BNP organized a 'Zia Memorial Cricket Tournament' on the occasion of Ziaur Rahman's 89th birth anniversary.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir gave a message on the occasion of the 89th birth anniversary of late President Ziaur Rahman yesterday (Saturday).

In the message, Fakhrul paid deep respect to the memory of the great statesman Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, the declarer of the great independence, promoter of multi-party democracy, commander of Z Force during the Liberation War, and proponent of Bangladeshi nationalist philosophy.