However, the BNP leader had a low-profile birthday party with only family members and party leaders and activists wishing him on the occasion.

Fakhrul woke up in the morning with his younger daughter Mirza Safaruh wising him 'Happy birthday’.

Talking to UNB, the BNP leader said there was no formal programme to celebrate the birthday, but BNP leaders, his relatives and friends from home and abroad wished him on the occasion.

“I usually don’t celebrate my birthday. I was at home in my hometown, Thakurgaon. I woke up in the morning with the phone call of my younger daughter and she wished me. My eldest daughter also phoned me from Australia saying ‘Happy birthday,” he said.

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The BNP leader said he passed around fours at Saidpur Airport as his flight to Dhaka delayed for three hours and he reached his Uttara residence in the evening.

About his feelings on the birthday, Fakhrul said, “Wishing an elderly person like me on the birthday means remembering the death. I’ve lost another year from my life and my days on earth are numbered. I’m now closer to death as I turned 73.”

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Fakhrul was born on January 26, 1948 in Thakurgaon. His father late Mirza Ruhul Amin was a Muslim League leader and a minister of the Pakistan government.

Fakhrul, who had involvement with left politics during his student life, completed his graduation and post-graduation from Dhaka University’s Economics department.

Later, he took up teaching as his profession through the BCS examination. Fakhrul quit teaching during the 80s and joined politics formally.

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He was elected MP from Thakurgaon-1 with BNP’s ticket in 2001 and made a state minister. He was also elected MP from Bogura-6 seat in the 11th parliamentary election. But he did not take oath yet as BNP rejected the election results. 

Fakhrul was made acting secretary general of BNP after the death of party’s then secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain in 2011. He was given the full charge of the party’s secretary general position five years later in 2016.