Saturday (August 15) marks the 82nd birthday of former Prime Minister and late Chairperson of the BNP, Begum Khaleda Zia. She was born on August 15, 1945, in Dinajpur.

Khaleda Zia was the third child of Iskandar Majumdar and Taiyeba Majumdar. This is her first birthday since her passing.

Keeping with recent tradition, the BNP has not organized any elaborate celebrations for her birthday.

Instead, milad and doa mahfils (prayer gatherings) have been arranged at party offices and mosques across Dhaka and the entire country to pray for the salvation of her departed soul.

As part of the central program, a doa mahfil will be held today at 11:00 AM at the BNP central office in Naya Paltan, with senior party leaders in attendance.

This is Khaleda Zia's third birthday observed in the new context following the 2024 mass uprising.

She gained permanent freedom on August 6, 2024, the day after the fall of the Awami League government through the student-led mass uprising.

Since 2016, the BNP has observed August 15 with milad and doa mahfils rather than cutting cakes to celebrate her birthday.

Khaleda Zia, who suffered from various long-term illnesses and underwent medical treatment, passed away on December 30, 2025.

A massive crowd participated in her funeral prayers held the following day at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

She was subsequently buried beside the grave of her husband, martyred President Ziaur Rahman.

Khaleda Zia, who played a significant role in Bangladesh's politics and democratic movement, entered politics following the assassination of her husband Ziaur Rahman on May 30, 1981.

She became a primary member of the BNP on January 2, 1982. Later, she served as the party's vice chairperson and assumed the role of chairperson in 1984.

After leading the movement against autocracy, Khaleda Zia was elected as the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh in the 1991 national election.

In total, she served as Prime Minister for three terms. Additionally, she served twice as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. In 1993, she was also elected as the first female chairperson of SAARC.

Following the events of 1/11, the then-caretaker government arrested Khaleda Zia on September 3, 2007. She remained imprisoned until September 2008, and her birthday was observed even while she was behind bars.

Khaleda Zia's personal success in electoral politics was also remarkable. She contested 23 seats across five parliamentary elections and won every single one of them.

In four elections from 1991 to 2001, she ran as a candidate in five seats each time and won all of them on every occasion. In the 2008 election, she contested three seats and emerged victorious in all three.

The election held on January 5, 2014, was boycotted under the leadership of the BNP. Prior to that, on February 8, 2018, Khaleda Zia went to prison in two corruption cases.

With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, she received conditional temporary release through an executive order of the government on March 25, 2020.

Since then, she received medical treatment while staying at her Gulshan residence, "Firoza." Due to illness, she was hospitalized on multiple occasions.

On the occasion of Khaleda Zia's birthday, the BNP has organized milad and doa mahfils in Dhaka and across the country. Party leaders, activists, and supporters have been requested to participate in these programs.

Additionally, a doa program and distribution of grants among the poor and underprivileged have been arranged this afternoon at the T&T ground in the Mohakhali Korail slum area under the Dhaka-17 constituency.

BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to attend the event as the chief guest.

A doa mahfil was also held in Shibganj, Bogura, to mark Khaleda Zia's birthday.

As part of a three-day program by the upazila BNP, the event was organized yesterday after Friday prayers at the Baitul Mamur Jame Masjid in Berabala Garipur village under Ward No. 3 of the municipality.