Prayers offered for Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, seeking recovery of Khaleda Zia

A doa mahfil was held to mark the 89th birth anniversary of BNP founder and Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman as well as seeking the recovery of Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is undergoing treatment in London.

UK Chapter of BNP organized the doa mahfil after Isha prayers at Bangladeshi-dominated Brick Lane Jame Mosque on Sunday.

Shahed Shafiq, a Bangladesh-born local journalist in the UK, quoted BNP’s UK Unit President and Chairperson’s Adviser MA Malek as saying other political parties spend Taka thousands of crore for their leaders and hold cake-cutting programmes.

“We are not doing that. In fact, after death, a person’s birth and death become equal,” said Malek.

MA Malek said the people of Bangladesh sacrificed their lives to restore their democratic rights. “That is why we want transformation of power to democratic representatives through elections as soon as possible,” he said.

UK BNP General Secretary Koysor M Ahmed said Ziaur Rahman gave an independent country to the nation.

“Today, on his birthday, we demand from the interim government that power be transferred to the people’s representatives through elections as soon as possible,” he said.

On the other hand, prayers were offered for the recovery of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and the eternal peace of souls of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and his son late Arafat Rahman.

Shahed Shafiq said doa mahfil was also held at Shahjalal Jame Mosque in London’s Manor Park under the arrangement of UK Zia Parishad.

BNP chairperson’s adviser Mahidur Rahman, MA Jalil Khan, Zia Parishad’s international affairs secretary and BNP’s European coordinator MA Jalil, Zia Parishad member and European coordinator poet Kausar Mahmud, UK Zia Parishad vice-president Momin Bhuiyan Kajal, organizing secretary Ahsan Uddin Manik Hai, vice-presidents Irak Chowdhury, Molla Firoz Alam, Delwar Pradeep Bhuiyan, Awlad Hossain Arun, Islam Uddin Panki, Kanchan Sarkar, Liton and Russell Ahmed joined it. (BSS)