BNP leaders and supporters gathered in front of the special jail set up in the Sangsad Bhaban area on Friday to mark party chief Khaleda Zia's birthday.
Led by secretary general Khandakar Delwar Hossain, her party wished the detained former prime minister long life, all success and speedy release by offering flowers, holding milad mahfil prayers and cutting a birthday cake.
Asked to comment on the caretaker government's decision to restore Aug 15 as National Mourning Day, Delwar told reporters BNP never failed to recognise the contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and pointed out "observing National Mourning Day doesn't clash with honouring a birthday."
Khaleda, born in 1945 in Dinajpur, was marking her 64th birthday.
Khaleda's daughter-in-law Jobaida Rahman and granddaughter Zaima Rahman met with the former prime minister at the special jail. They stayed there for one and a half hours, said Siddiqui.
Senior BNP leaders and supporters, including MK Anwar, Selima Rahman, Helen Zerin Khan and professor Abdul Mannan, earlier attended a milad gathering at Delwar's NAM flat residence.
Delwar, pressing for the release of Khaleda and calling on the government to send her ailing elder son Tarique Rahman abroad for treatment, said to all present: "We would like to sit with the government as soon as Khaleda is freed."
"BNP will take part in the elections under Khaleda's leadership, emerge winners and form the next democratic government as it did earlier."
Different city units of BNP were also organising milads<.i> marking their leader's birthday.
The BNP chief was arrested on Sept 3, 2007 along with her younger son Arafat Rahman Coco in the Gatco graft case filed by the Anticorruption Commission.
Subject: BNP marks Khaleda's birthday in front of special jail................ 
Fri Aug 15, 2008 6:20 pm
