Dhaka, Dec. 4 -- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will organise nationwide prayers in mosques and services in other places of worship on Friday for the speedy recovery of party chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Announcing the programme at a media briefing at the party's central office in Naya Paltan on Thursday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: "We will have prayer gatherings in every mosque, and prayer services in temples and places of worship of other religious communities, for the immediate good health of Begum Khaleda Zia. Special prayer services will be held in every mosque."

Among the leaders present at the briefing were Mahdi Amin, an advisor to BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman; Amin...