London: A doa mahfil was held to mark the 89th birth anniversary of BNP founder and Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, as well as to seek the recovery of Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is undergoing treatment in London. The event was organized by the UK Chapter of BNP after Isha prayers at the Bangladeshi-dominated Brick Lane Jame Mosque on Sunday.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shahed Shafiq, a Bangladesh-born local journalist in the UK, quoted BNP’s UK Unit President and Chairperson’s Adviser MA Malek. Malek remarked on the spending habits of other political parties, noting that they spend Taka thousands of crore for their leaders and hold cake-cutting programs. “We are not doing that. In fact, after death, a person’s birth and death become equal,” he said.
MA Malek emphasized the sacrifices made by the people of Bangladesh to restore their democratic rights. He expressed the desire for the transformation of power to democratic representatives through elections as soon as possible. UK BNP General Secretary Koysor M Ahmed also highlighted the contributions of Ziaur Rahman, stating that he gave an independent country to the nation. He demanded from the interim government that power be transferred to the people’s representatives through elections promptly.
Prayers were offered for the recovery of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and for the eternal peace of the souls of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and his son, the late Arafat Rahman. Shahed Shafiq noted that a doa mahfil was also held at Shahjalal Jame Mosque in London’s Manor Park, organized by UK Zia Parishad.
The event saw participation from several key figures, including BNP chairperson’s adviser Mahidur Rahman, MA Jalil Khan, Zia Parishad’s international affairs secretary, and BNP’s European coordinator MA Jalil. Other attendees included Zia Parishad member and European coordinator poet Kausar Mahmud, UK Zia Parishad vice-president Momin Bhuiyan Kajal, organizing secretary Ahsan Uddin Manik Hai, and vice-presidents Irak Chowdhury, Molla Firoz Alam, Delwar Pradeep Bhuiyan, Awlad Hossain Arun, Islam Uddin Panki, Kanchan Sarkar, Liton, and Russell Ahmed.