The 82nd birth anniversary of Khaleda Zia, former three-time prime minister of Bangladesh and ex-chairperson of BNP, will be observed on Saturday.
To mark the occasion, the BNP and its affiliate and associate organisations have organised nationwide milad and doa mahfils. As part of the central programme, a prayer session will be held at 11am on Saturday at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan, Dhaka.
Senior party leaders, including members of the National Standing Committee, are expected to attend the event.
In a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, similar prayer sessions have been scheduled across various districts, cities, upazilas, and other organisational units at party offices and local mosques.
Rizvi urged leaders, activists, and supporters at all levels to participate in the programmes in their respective areas.
Life and legacy
Khaleda Zia was born on 15 August, 1944, in Jalpaiguri, then part of British India, to Iskandar Majumder and Taiyaba Majumder. Following the Partition, her family relocated to the then East Pakistan, living in Bogura and later in Dhaka.
She completed her education at Dinajpur Government Girls’ School and married the late President Shaheed Ziaur Rahman in 1960.
She entered active politics following the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman in 1981 and assumed the role of BNP Chairperson in 1984. After playing a leading role in the anti-autocracy movement, she made history in 1991 by becoming the first female prime minister of Bangladesh.
She subsequently served as prime minister again in 1996 and 2001, achieving the rare distinction of holding the office three times.
Throughout her extensive political career, Khaleda Zia led various movements focused on democracy, elections, and constitutional rights. Her later life was marked by significant political challenges and legal battles.
She passed away on 30 December 2025, at Evercare Hospital due to various age-related physical complications at the age of 80. On 31 December 2025, she was buried with state honours at Zia Udyan in Dhaka, next to the grave of her husband, president Ziaur Rahman.
