Khaleda Zia’s 80th birthday to be celebrated Friday

On the occasion of the 80th birthday of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, the party will organize milad and prayers at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan to wish her long life and health.

The program will be organized at the party office in Nayapaltan at 11am.

The prayer program will be held across Bangladesh praying for the long life of Khaleda and the salvation of the departed souls of those students and mass people who embraced martyrdom during the recent movement and the recovery of injured students. 

BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, turns 80 on Thursday.

However, Khaleda Zia's birthday from the first hour on Thursday was greeted with greetings by those associated with her treatment.

Many leaders and activists also congratulated her.

No program to cut any cake 

There were always various discussions about the birthday of BNP Chairperson in politics.

Khaleda Zia did not cut the cake in the early hours of August 15, 2015.

In the press conference held at the chairperson's office in Gulshan in April of that year, she said: “National leaders should be kept above controversy. The debate on national leaders should be stopped.”

The debate about her birthday started in the early nineties.

The date of birth and even the year of birth are given various information in the media.

Now the BNP chairperson is undergoing treatment under the close supervision of doctors at the Ever Care Hospital of ​​the capital. Her physical condition is slightly better now.

The secretary general is scheduled to meet Khaleda Zia at the hospital, said BNP Chairperson's press wing member Shairul Kabir Khan.

According to family sources, Khaleda Zia usually exchanges greetings with family members on her birthday. This time was no exception. But this time many of the family members are out of the country.

They celebrate Khaleda's birthday on August 16 holding a doa mahfil and prayer program.

This year too, the birthday celebration is being held on August 16.

Khaleda Zia celebrated her birthday by cutting a cake on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's death anniversary for the last in 2015.

A case was even filed in the Dhaka Metropolitan Court on August 30, 2016.

Later, in the National Council held on March 19, 2016, she urged all parties to respect the national leaders.

In 2016, she stopped the celebration by cutting the cake.

Khaleda Zia joined BNP on January 3, 1982.

In March 1983, she became Senior Vice Chairman of BNP. On April 1, 1983, she made her first speech at an extended meeting of the party. On May 10, 1984, Khaleda Zia was elected as the party chairperson.

She was sentenced to five years by a lower court in 2018 in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case during the Fakhruddin governments of One-Eleven.

Then on April 1 of that year, she was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

Later, the High Court increased the sentence of the lower court to 10 years.

After almost two years, on March 25, 2020, Khaleda Zia was released on conditional for six months in view of the family's appeal during the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic all over the world including Bangladesh.

After that, the former government extended her release period by six months step by step.

Khaleda Zia was released on the order of the president on August 6 this year, the day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country.

Earlier, he was jailed on September 3 that year when the caretaker government came in 2007.

Later on, September 11, 2008, Khaleda Zia was released on bail.