Bangladesh, Aug. 14 -- The BNP will hold prayer and religious gatherings across Bangladesh on Saturday to mark the birth anniversary of its late chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Party offices or mosques will host the gatherings, while the Dhaka event will begin at 11am at the BNP's central office in Naya Paltan, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said in a statement on Friday.

The party urged its leaders, activists and affiliated organisations to observe the programme with due respect.

Khaleda was born in Jalpaiguri, then part of undivided India, on Aug 15, 1946.

Her family name was Khaleda Khanam and she was nicknamed Putul.

Her father Iskandar Majumder was from Feni but studied in Jalpaiguri while s...