DHAKA: Amid widespread criticism, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has been celebrating her birthday on August 15 since 1996. Birthday cakes were cut in the wee hours of the day.

But this year a new incident happened. Cake was not cut in the early hours to celebrate the birthday of Khaleda Zia.

As party chief steps into her 70th year on Saturday, BNP is set to celebrate day with elaborate functions this year.

Khaleda Zia will cut the birthday cake with senior leaders attending the ceremony at her Gulshan political office this evening, party insiders said.

Different political, socio-cultural and professional organizations, including ruling Awami League urged the BNP chief not to celebrate the birthday on August 15, the brutal assassination day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

But, Khaleda Zia will celebrate her 70th birthday cutting cakes brought by the party and its affiliated organizations ignoring the requests, advice and threats.

In the previous years, however, Khaleda Zia cut a cake to celebrate birthday zero hour (at 00:01 am) of August 15, but as the birthday falls on Friday this year, she did not do that.

The cakes will be cut in the late hours of August 15.

According to the BNP leaders, Khaleda will come to her Gulshan office at 7:00pm on Saturday.

At 8:00pm, she will cut the cakes brought by Dhaka city BNP, Chhatra Dal, youth and volunteer wings of the party.

The other front organizations of the party will celebrate the birthday as per their own arrangements.

At the time, BNP standing committee members, vice-chairmen, chairperson’s advisers, joint general secretaries, organizing secretary, top leaders of front organizations and several pro-BNP professional organizations will be present.

BDST: 1207 HRS, AUG 15, 2015
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