Khaleda Zia skips cutting cake in first hours of Aug 15

Amidst criticism over celebrating birthday on the National Morning Day, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has not cut cake in the first hours of Aug 15 this year.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 August 2016, 07:41 PM
Updated : 14 August 2016, 07:48 PM

The party celebrates the birthday every year on this day, the same day Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally killed in 1975.

She had been celebrating the birthday by cutting cake at her Gulshan office in the first hours in past years, but Monday was different.

The leaders and activists who brought bouquets and flowers to greet the BNP chief were asked to leave those at the gate.

This bdnews24.com file photo shows BNP chief Khaleda Zia cutting cake to celebrate her birthday on Aug 15, 2014.

“Sir, flowers are not allowed,” Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed heard from the security guards at the gate.

He left the flowers there while many others took them back to their cars and then entered the office.

Over 100 leaders and activists stood in a line to greet Khaleda when she reached the office at 10:30pm on Sunday.

She left the office without cutting any cake around 12:15am on Monday.

Earlier, her press wing said the usual cake-cutting ceremony will not be held this year.

“She will go to her Gulshan office, like she does every day, but ceremonies with cakes will not be held at midnight this year,” Shairul Kabir Khan, a member of the BNP chief’s press wing, told bdnews24.com.

Several other senior BNP leaders said no ceremonies will be held at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters this year, either.

“We are not going for any ceremonies this year considering the floods, forced disappearances and murders as well as oppression of our party’s activists and leaders,” BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy told bdnews24.com.