DHAKA: Ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif requested BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to refrain from celebrating her birthday on August 15, the national mourning day.

The spokesperson for the party made the plea on Saturday afternoon after a meeting at Awami League president Dhanmondi political office.

At the meeting, Hanif, however, expressed hope that there is no chance of violence in BNP’s anti-movement during the month of mourning.

The meeting was arranged to chalk out the month-long programs to observe the month of mourning.

The Awami League and like-minded organizations’ leaders attended the meeting chaired by Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam.

They finalized the programs up to August 31 starting from August 3.

On August 15 in 1975, father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most of his family members, but his two daughters--Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana--luckily survived as they were abroad.

BDST: 2014 HRS, AUG 02, 2014