Tarique pays homage to Zia with emotion, tears

A day after returning home following nearly 17 years abroad, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman visited the grave of his father and BNP founder late President Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Friday to pay his respects.

Tarique placed a wreath at the grave along with senior BNP leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and members of the party’s Standing Committee.

A munajat was offered at the site, seeking the salvation of Ziaur Rahman’s departed soul, the speedy recovery of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and the welfare of the country and its people.

Later, Tarique stood before the grave for a while in prayer with visible emotion and offered fateha. He was seen wiping tears with a handkerchief.

Tarique Rahman left his Gulshan residence for Zia Udyan at around 2:55pm. He travelled in a red-and-green decorated bus -- the same vehicle he used on Thursday while travelling from the airport to the reception venue.

He is now on his way to the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War.