Nation celebrates Independence Day

Nation celebrates Independence Day

President Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina stand in solemn silence after placing wreaths at the National Memorial as bugles played the Last Post on Monday.––BSS photo

People flocked to the National Memorial at Savar and other monuments across the country on Monday to pay homage to the brave freedom fighters who made supreme sacrifice for the liberation of the country as the nation celebrated the 48th Independence and National Day.
Bangladesh’s independence was formally declared on March 26, 1971 with the people taking up arms against Pakistani occupation forces, who carried out one of the worst genocides in modern history.
The nine-month war ended in the independence of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971 after the supreme sacrifice of three million people and violation of over two lakh women. Marauding Pakistani forces destroyed most of the factories, roads, bridges and culverts, burned houses, engaged in indiscriminate arson and plundering and created such an unbearable situation that 10 million people were forced to leave their country.
The day is observed as the Independence Day since 1971. In 1980, the government decided to observe it as the National Day as well.
People queued up at the National Memorial at Savar at the dawn.
President Abdul Hamid led the nation placing wreaths at the National Memorial followed by the prime minister Sheikh Hasina. They stood in solemn silence as bugles played the Last Post.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also paid tributes to martyred freedom fighters at the memorial.
Wreaths were laid at the National Memorial by the speaker, deputy speaker, ministers, lawmakers, chiefs of three services, diplomats, civil and military officials, freedom fighters and other dignitaries.
Thousands, many donned in green and red dresses and carrying miniatures of the national flag, went to the National Memorial. The altar of the memorial was bedecked with flowers as people filed past it.
Wreaths were laid at the memorial by political parties, including ruling Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Gana Sanghati Andolan, Gana Forum, Liberal Democratic Party, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Democratic Revolutionary Party, Revolutionary Workers Party, Ganatantrik Biplabi Party and Jatiya Ganatantrik League, and different organisations, including Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, student organisations, professional groups and socio-cultural organisations.
The president hosted a reception at Bangabhaban where the prime minister joined and greeted the guests.
The prime minister hoisted the national flag and led the nation to sing national anthem ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ simultaneously around 8:00am at Bangabandhu National Stadium in the capital.
She took salute there at a children’s parade organised by the Dhaka district administration.
Speaking on the occasion, she urged the country’s children and juveniles to prepare for taking take the country forward in the future considering themselves as successors of a victorious nation.
Different educational institutions and socio-cultural organisations across the country organised discussions, processions, exhibitions and art and cultural functions and competitions.
The national flag was hoisted atop public and private buildings marking the day, which was a public holiday. Important public and private buildings and road islands were illuminated and decorated with flags and festoons.
The state-run and private radio and television channels aired special programmes. Newspapers and periodicals brought out supplements highlighting the significance of the day.
To mark the day, BD Cyclists, a Facebook-based group of cyclists, brought out a colourful cycle procession tilted ‘Independence Day Ride-2018’, participated by several thousand cyclists of different ages in the city, from Manik Mia Avenue in the morning.
Incidents of intra-party clashes of the ruling Awami League in Satkhira, Barisal and Keraniganj, however, undermined the nations’ spirit.
New Age correspondent in Satkhira reported that at least 10 leaders and activists of Awami League were injured in an intra-party clash at Alauddin Square in the district town where the municipality unit AL organised a rally in the afternoon.
New Age correspondent in Barisal reported that two groups of AL’s student wing Bangladesh Chattra League manhandled each other over placing wreaths at Hizla upazila Shaheed Minar in the morning.
At Keraniganj, two people including an AL leader were injured when Chhatra League activists attacked them in front of Keraniganj Upazila Parishad when the victims were on their way to home after attending an Independence Day programme.

Source: New Age.