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Published : 13 Aug 2025, 04:26 PM
The BNP has announced prayer meets across the country on Friday to mark party chief Khaleda Zia’s 80th birthday and to pray for her recovery.
A central prayer meet will be held at 11am on Friday at the BNP’s headquarters in Dhaka’s Naya Paltan, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Rizvi said in a press statement: “Aug 15 is the 80th birthday of the ‘mother of democracy’, BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia. On this occasion, party offices and mosques across the country will hold Milads and special prayer meets.”
Leaders, activists and supporters of BNP and its affiliates across the country, including Dhaka, have been requested to participate in the Milads and prayer meets.
Khaleda was born on Aug 15, 1946 in Dinajpur, according to the BNP website. She is the fourth of six siblings. Her father was Eskandar Majumdar and father Begum Tayeba Majumdar. Although they hail from Feni’s Fulgazi, Khaleda grew up in Dinajpur, her father’s workplace.
Khaleda, then a housewife, entered the political arena after her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, was killed on May 30, 1981. Initially, she was elected as BNP vice chairman and then chairperson in 1984.
Khaleda served as the prime minister of the BNP government for three terms, from 1991 to 1996, in 1996, and from 2001 to 2006.
BNP leaders and activists used to celebrate their leader's birthday by cutting a cake on Aug 15, but since 2016, they have been holding Milads and prayer meets without other party-organised programmes.
Since Khaleda began experiencing more serious health issues for the last few years, she has remained under intensive care at her Gulshan residence “Firoza”. She does not meet party leaders and activists. However, she exchanges greetings with members of the party's standing committee on both Eids.
