BNP on Wednesday announced a 15-day programme to observe the 43rd death anniversary of its founder and former president Ziaur Rahman on May 30.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programmes at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

He said the observance of Zia’s death anniversary programme will begin on May 28 and will end on June 28 through various programmes.

Ziaur Rahman, who founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978, was assassinated by a group of army officers at Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981.

As part of the programmes, black flags will be hoisted while the party flag will be kept at half-mast atop its offices, including its Nayapaltan headquarters, at 6 am on May 30.

Besides, party leaders and workers will place wreaths at Zia's grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 10 am the same day.

They will also offer fateha at Zia’s grave and join a doa and milad mahfil there, praying for the salvation of the departed soul of the BNP founder.

The party will arrange a discussion meeting on May 29 at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in memory of Zia on the occasion.

Besides, a mass prayer programme will be organised in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on May 31 seeking eternal peace for Zia’s departed soul.

BNP and its associate bodies will arrange different programmes, including seminars and discussions, on Zia’s activities.

The party’s city, district, upazila, and municipality units will also observe the day with due respect by arranging different programmes.

The leaders of the party’s Dhaka North and South city units will also distribute food items and clothes among the destitute in different parts of the city on May 30.