The nation on Friday celebrated the 46th Victory Day paying tribute to the freedom fighters who made the supreme sacrifice in the War for Independence to free the nation from marauding Pakistani forces fighting successfully a nine-month war in 1971. During the celebrations across the country, people demanded that all war criminals are identified and tried and social relations with war criminals severed. People also called for resisting fundamentalism and establishing the rule of law, democracy and secularism. They renewed the pledge to create a secular and prosperous society free from poverty and inequality. Thousands of people of all walks of life streamed to the National Memorial at Savar and other memorials across the country holding the green and red national flag to pay homage to martyred freedom fighters. Carrying banners, wreaths, follower petals and wearing head bands inscribed with the slogans of the Victory Day, thousands of people from all strata converged near the National Memorial since dawn. Other programmes of the day included hoisting of the national flag on top of all national and private institutions, placing of wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar, decorating the road-islands tastefully, discussions, cultural soirees, rendering of the National Anthem by millions of people and illumination at night. The Victory Day, a public holiday, was heralded by a pre-day 31-gun salute. President Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial Friday morning. The president placed a wreath at the altar of the National Memorial and stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of respect to the memories of the Liberation War martyrs. He also signed the visitors’ book kept at the premises of the National Memorial. Immediately after the president, prime minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreath at the National Memorial. She too stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs. A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion when bugles played the last post. Sheikh Hasina, flanked by senior leaders of the ruling Awami League, laid another wreath at the National Memorial as the party chief. The speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, the chief vjstice, ministers, Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition in parliament, the chiefs of the three services, members of parliament, freedom fighters, diplomats and high civil and military officials also paid homage to the martyrs. As the day wore on, the whole memorial area became crowded with people of all ages and different political, socio-cultural and professional organisations and different institutions stood in queue at the memorial ground to place wreaths and pay tribute to the freedom fighters. People were allowed into the hallowed National Memorial ground after the VIPs left. Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with her party’s senior leaders, placed wreaths at the National Memorial altar. At least 295 organisations and institutions placed wreaths at the memorial’s altar between 7:15am and 12:30pm. President Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hainsa took the salute at Victory Day parade led by Bangladesh Army, at the National Parade Ground. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina witnessed the colourful parade from the VIP enclosure. The prime minister paid the homage by placing a wreath at the portrait of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with her party leaders, also paid homage placing a wreath at the grave side of late president Ziaur Rahman, also the founder of the parthy. On December 16, 1971, the commander of 93,000 marauding troops of Pakistan army, Lieutenant General AAK Niazi, surrendered at the Ramna Race Course, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka. People gathered at Suhrawardy Udyan to sing the national anthem in chorus at 4:31pm when the occupation army troops of Pakistan led by General Niazi laid down their arms on December 16, 1971. The event was jointly organised by the national committee for the 46th Victory Day celebrations, the Sector Commanders’ Forum, and a faction of the Ganajagaran Mancha. Political parties, cultural and professional organisations and educational institutions held discussions and rallies and brought out processions to celebrate Victory Day. Public buildings were decorated with lights. Special prayers were offered at mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship for national progress and prosperity. Improved diet was served at orphanages, hospitals and jails across the country. Five commemorative stamps were cancelled by the prime minister. All children parks and museums remained open free of cost. Newspapers brought out special supplements and television channels and radio stations aired special programmes to mark Victory Day. Ruling Awami League and opposition BNP brought out victory day processions in Dhaka. The government tightened security in the capital and the rest of the country. In Chittagong, five people were injured in a clash between ruling AL-backed student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jamaat- backed Islami Chhatra Shibir over placing wreaths at Shaheed Minar at Chittagong Government College Wednesday morning. Reports received from Kurigram, Panchagarh and Lalmonirhat said the citizens of former enclaves merged with Bangladesh celebrated the day for the first time chanting ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan and placed wreaths at a makeshift Shaheed Minar. Bangladesh and India officially exchanged 162 enclaves in August. Thereafter, about 60,000 enclave inhabitants formally got citizenship of both Bangladesh and India under the Land Boundary Agreement 1974 signed by the two neighboring countries. Source : NEW AGE
