Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday paid homage to her party founder and late President Ziaur Rahman, marking the ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’.

Amid political turmoil, soldiers and civilians on November 7, 1975 jointly freed then chief of army staff Ziaur Rahman from captivity in Dhaka cantonment, paving the way for Zia to come to power.

BNP and its associate bodies chalked out a 10-day programme to observe the day in a befitting manner.

As part of the programmes, Khaleda together with party leaders and activists placed a wreath at Zia’s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka at about 11:30am.

She also offered fateha at her husband’s grave and joined a munajat there seeking salvation of the departed soul of Zia.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, vice-chairmen Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, AZM Zahid Hossain, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Ahmed Azam Khan, chairperson’s advisers Amanullah Aman Zainul Abedin Farroque, and senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretaries general Mahbubuddin Khokan, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and Khairul Kabir Khokon were, among others, present.

Leaders and activists of different units and associate bodies of the party also laid wreaths at its founder’s grave on the occasion.

Earlier in the morning, BNP flags were hoisted at the party’s Nayapaltan central office and chairperson’s Gulshan office and other party offices across the country.

While BNP and its alliances celebrate November 7 as the National Revolution and Solidarity Day, the ruling Awami League and its front organisations consider it as the day of 'killing of freedom fighters'.