Khaleda cuts cake on birthday

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has celebrated her 69th birthday by cutting a cake at her Gulshan office thronged by leaders and activists.

Earlier, a special prayer was held at her residence in the upscale neighbourhood on Thursday morning to mark the occasion.

The Leader of the Opposition turned 69 on Thursday. She was roundly criticised for celebrating her birth anniversary on Aug 15, the day on which the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated along with most members of his family in 1975.

A huge cake, weighing 69 pounds, was cut at around 9pm in the Gulshan office.

Several senior leaders of her party including R A Gani, Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan greeted her at the function.

Clad in a pink saree, Khaleda wore a beaming smile as the celebrations began.

Earlier in the day, seven 69-pound cakes were cut to usher in her birthday at BNP's Naya Paltan headquarters by the Metropolitan BNP, Juba Dal, Swecchasebok Dal, Mohila Dal, Sramik Dal, Chhatra Dal and Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha.

Born to Eskander Majumder and Toiyba Majumder in 1945 at Feni's Sonagazi, Khaleda, nicknamed Putul, spent her childhood in Dinajpur.

However, her actual date of birth is still a matter of debate.

Her marriage certificate shows Sept 5, 1945 as her birthday, while her first passport has it as Aug 19, 1946. She put her date of birth as Aug 9, 1944 in her registration for the matriculation exams.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's grandson, Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, has taken a dig at Khaleda for observing her birthday on the day on which much of his maternal family was liquidated in a military coup.

The Awami League considers Khaleda’s husband General Ziaur Rehman's role to have been 'mysterious' during that bloody coup.