BNP on Thursday paid homage to its founder and late president Ziaur Rahman, marking its 44th founding anniversary.

Party leaders and activists, led by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, placed wreaths at Zia’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar grave around 12 pm and offered fateha there.

They also joined a special prayer (munajat) seeking the salvation of Zia’s departed soul and the good health of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhur and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, were, among others, present.

Read:“BNP will form commission to identify Zia’s killers if we return to power”

BNP and its associate bodies are celebrating the founding anniversary with various programmes across the country.

To mark the day, the party flag was hoisted atop the buildings of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office and other offices across the country in the morning.

The party is scheduled to bring out a colourful rally from Nayaplatan at 3pm today, marking the day. BNP will also arrange a discussion on Friday on the occasion.

Ziaur Rahman founded the party on September 1, 1978 with a 19-point programme to build a self-reliant Bangladesh. After his assassination on May 30, 1981, his widow Khaleda took over the party leadership.

The party had been in power four times and played the role of opposition twice. BNP has been out of power for nearly 15 years since the 1/11 political changeover in 2007.