Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is going to celebrate its 39th founding anniversary on Friday with a low-key programme due to the Eid-ul-Azha that falls on Saturday.

The party will place wreaths and offer fateha at the grave of its founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on the occasion.

Besides, a discussion will be held at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on September 9 where BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and its standing committee members will be present.

On September 1, 1978, late President Ziaur Rahman founded the party wooing leaders and activists from different parties with a 19-point programme to build a self-reliant Bangladesh.

In the 39 years' journey of the party, BNP had been in power for four times and in opposition bench twice. But following the January-5, 2014 election boycott, the party is also out of parliament now.

The party has been out of power for 11 years since the 1/11 political changeover.