By Layek Uzzaman
Bangladesh's main opposition Party Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP) paid homage to its founder, former president Zia-ur Rahman on September 1. It was the 45th anniversary of the party. Party leaders and activists, led by its standing committee members, placed a wreath at Zia's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar grave around to pay tributes to him.
BNP Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Vice-Chairmen Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Shahjahan Omar, Ahmed Azam Khan and AZM Zahid Hossain, Chairperson's Advisers Abdus Salam, Amanullah Aman, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Habibur Rahman Habib, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretaries general Khairul Kabir Khoko, Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel and publicity affairs secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anne, were, among others, present. Also patty's associate bodies laid wreaths at the late president's grave. To mark the day, the party flag was kept hoisted atop the buildings of the BNP's Nayapaltan office and other offices across the country in the morning. The party held a discussion at Mohanagar Natya Mancha Auditorium in the capital. BNP's associate bodies and all their units across the country will mark the day with due respect by holding various programs, including discussions and rallies.
Ziaur Rahman, a general-turned president, founded the party on September 1, 1978 with a 19-point charter to build a self-reliant Bangladesh. After his assassination on May 30, 1981, his widow Begum Khaleda Zia took over the party leadership.
The writer is based in Bangladesh
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.
 paid homage to its founder, former president Ziaur Rahman on September 1. It was the 45th anniversary of the party. ){kind=link}