Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of BNP, remembered the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for Bangladesh’s democratic movement and urged everyone to pray and work towards building the Bangladesh envisioned by the martyrs.

On Friday evening (May 30), at a prayer gathering held in East London to mark the martyrdom anniversary of the late President Ziaur Rahman, Tarique Rahman spoke about their legacy.

“As a son, I ask for prayers for my father, the martyr President Ziaur Rahman. But this request is not only for him — I also seek prayers for all those who laid down their lives in Bangladesh’s democratic struggles,” he said.

He added, “President Ziaur Rahman established multi-party democracy in Bangladesh. However, this democratic progress has often been hindered by various conspiracies. Many leaders and activists from BNP and other political parties, as well as people from different walks of life, have sacrificed their lives, been injured, or disabled in this ongoing struggle.”

Referring to the July-August movement, Tarique Rahman said, “The fleeing autocratic regime resorted to brutal killings to retain power. Numerous people lost their lives, including 66 children, according to United Nations reports. We remember and pray for all those victims.”

He further urged, “We must unite to build a strong and democratic Bangladesh that fulfills the hopes and dreams of our martyrs. For that, we seek everyone’s prayers and cooperation.”

The prayer event was chaired by Abul Kalam Azad, senior vice president of UK BNP, and moderated by Koyser M Ahmed, BNP National Executive Committee member and UK BNP general secretary.