The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) celebrated its 48th founding anniversary today with a series of vibrant events across the nation. Founded by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman on September 1, 1978, the party marked the occasion with colourful programmes, social activities, and political events. The celebrations began with Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman paying tributes to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia by placing wreaths at their graves in Dhaka's Zia Udyan.
Members of the BNP's Standing Committee and other senior leaders were present during the tribute ceremony. They offered Fateha and joined a special munajat seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of the BNP founder and former chairperson. Following the tribute, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, accompanied by party leaders, planted saplings on the Ziaur Rahman mausoleum premises and released fish fry into the adjacent lake.
After the departure of Prime Minister Rahman and the lifting of the security cordon, a massive crowd of leaders, activists, and supporters thronged the mazar (shrine) of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia to pay their respects. Throughout the day, leaders and activists from various wards of the capital arrived in small processions, chanting slogans and carrying colourful banners adorned with the BNP flag.
District and metropolitan units of the BNP celebrated the anniversary with various programmes, including discussions. The celebrations hold particular significance as the party has recently returned to state power after two decades, with Tarique Rahman serving as Prime Minister for the first time. BNP Acting Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi emphasized that the party is moving forward while holding high the ideals and philosophy with which Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman founded it.
The BNP's journey has been marked by significant struggles and sacrifices. Under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia, the party waged a mass uprising against dictator Ershad, leading to a nine-year-long struggle that ended with the BNP winning the 1991 national elections and forming the government. The party faced numerous obstacles and endured torture and oppression during the 16-year-long fascist regime of Sheikh Hasina, which collapsed in the Mass Uprising of 2024.
The BNP's return to power in the 13th national election held on February 12 this year, with a landslide victory and a two-thirds majority in parliament, signifies a renewed commitment to the party's founding principles. The celebrations underscore the BNP's resilience and its continued influence in Bangladesh's political landscape.






























