United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday paid tribute to party founder and former President Ziaur Rahman on the occasion of his 45th death anniversary. Tarique Rahman first laid a wreath at Ziaur Rahman’s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in his capacity as Prime Minister. He later placed another wreath as BNP Chairman, accompanied by members of the party’s Standing Committee, including Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed and Prof AZM Zahid Hossain. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir received the Prime Minister when he arrived at the grave premises around 11:00am. Party leaders Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Abdus Salam, Masum Ahmed Talukder, Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Habib-e-Rashid Habib, Aminul Haque, SM Jahangir, Rafiqul Alam Majnu, Tanveer Ahmed Robin, Shirin Sultana, Sultana Ahmed, Helen Jerin Khan, Arifa Sultana Ruma, Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, Rafiqul Islam, Safiqul Islam Khan and Rafiqul Islam Bacchu, among others, were present. The BNP chief and senior party leaders observed a brief silence in memory of the party founder.

The 45th death anniversary of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani will be observed on Wednesday with due respect. Bhasani, popularly known as 'Majlum Jananeta' (the leader of the downtrodden), passed away on November 17, 1976. Different social organisations and political parties have chalked out programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner. Besides, the death anniversary of the great leader will be observed in Santosh of Tangail district where he was laid to rest. Also read: Maulana Bhasani's 44th death anniversary today Different political parties and organisations, including BNP, Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP Bhasani), Gonosanghati Andolon Moulana Bhasani University of Science and Technology, Bhasani Foundation and Bhashani Anusari Parishad, will mark the pay homage to the grave of the great leader and hold discussions on the occasion. A BNP delegation, led by its standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, will place wreaths at the grave of Bhasani in Tangail and offer fateha there at 10am on Wednesday. The party will also arrange a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Thursday to mark the day. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued a message on the occasion recalling the role of Moulana Bhasani in establishing people’s rights and building progressive, democratic and non-communal Bangladesh free from exploitation and deprivation. Meanwhile, BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also issued separate messages paying tribute to the memory of Bhasani. Also read: Bhasani to be source of inspiration to win election: Dr Kamal Bhasani was a popular leader in his fight against imperialism and oppression of Pakistani rulers. He led the historic Farakka March in 1976 to ensure Bangladesh's just rights to the share of the Ganges River water. Born in 1880 in Dhangara, Sirajganj, Bhasani gained immense popularity among peasants. He is regarded as the proponent of secular and left-leaning politics in present-day Bangladesh. He was the founder and president of the Pakistan Awami Muslim League which later became Awami League (AL). He also formed a progressive political organisation, National Awami Party (NAP). END/UNB/ARJ/SAM/1930 hrs