BNP chief Khaleda cuts humongous cakes on her son Tarique's birth anniversary

She skipped her own birth anniversary celebration in August this year, but BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has cut five cakes weighing 52 pounds on her son Tarique Rahman's 51st birth anniversary.

Tarique, the senior vice-chairman of the party, lives in London on medical ground as he faces trial for several charges in Bangladesh.

The High Court in July ordered seven years in prison for him and slapped a Tk 200 million fine, overturning a trial court’s verdict that acquitted him of money laundering charges.

After cutting the cakes at 12:01am on Sunday, Khaleda wished him a happy birthday on phone.

"I've spoken to Tarique on phone. Please keep him in your prayers," Khaleda told the leaders and activists who gathered at her Gulshan office to celebrate Tarique's birth anniversary.

Special prayers were later held for Tarique.

The eldest son of late president BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda, Tarique was arrested on Mar 7, 2007, during the state of emergency.

In September the following year, after securing a bail from the Supreme Court, Tarique went to the UK citing medical reasons. He has been in London ever since, even attending some BNP events in the city.

Khaleda, who used to celebrate her birth anniversary on August 15, every year, skipped the celebration this year which the party leaders said cancelled considering the floods, 'forced disappearances and murders as well as oppression' of the party’s activists and leaders.

Earlier this month, a court issued a warrant for her arrest in a case over her birth anniversary celebrations on the death anniversary of country’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The plaintiff alleges that Khaleda's intent to celebrate her birth anniversary on Aug 15 was to 'undermine Bangabandhu.'