The armed forces performed military parade and saluted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday at National Parade Field at the Victory Day drills.
The event was highlighted by the salute of armed forces with a 200 feet long and 120 feet wide National Flag. Prime Minister saluted the flag in return.
President Zillur Rahman could not appear due to illness. According to an earlier announcement, Prime Minister accepted salute in place of the President.
The Prime Minister placed wreaths at the National Mausoleum in Savar and at the portrait of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhanmondi before attending the Victory Day parade at 10:30am.
A pre-dawn 31-gun salute heralded the Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka.
The parade, part of the day-long programmes to mark the Victory Day, was participated by the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Bangladesh National Cadet Core, Border Guard Bangladesh, Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Ansar and Village Defence Party, Coast guard, Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel.
Ministry of Liberation War Affairs organised the parade with the Bangladesh Army leading the salute. Members of the other forces also saluted the Prime Minister with the Air Force’s MiG-29 fighter planes performing a spectacular fly past.
The armed forces also demonstrated their skills through fly pasts, parachute jumps, rappels from helicopters, etc.
This time the parade ground was decorated with several images of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and still pictures of Liberation War.
A huge picture of Bangabandhu and another of the National Mausoleum were placed right opposite the Prime Minister’s stand. Either sides held pictures of the President and the Prime Minister.
Chief of the three armed forces and the State Minister for Liberation War Affairs A B Tajul Islam greeted the Prime Minister upon her arrival at the parade ground.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister for LIberation War Affairs and Chiefs of the three armed forces while accepting salutes from the parade.
Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, BNCC, BGB, Bangladesh Police, RAB, VDP, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence also took part in the parade.
Later 282-member combined armed forces brought in the huge National Flag.
The artillery and weapons of the three armed forces were put on display later in the programme. The new additions of MTB-2000 and Weapon Locating Radar were also at the parade.
A spectacular fly-past performed by the Bangladesh Air Force’s MIG-29 and greetings from the band players marked the ending to the parade.
The theme of this year’s Victory Day was ‘Bijoy Theke Bijoye’ (from victory to victory).
Source: bdnews24