The nation celebrated the 43rd Victory Day on Monday amid a renewed pledge to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the freedom fighters by ensuring peace and stability in the country and by fulfilling the spirit of the War of Liberation. The day was a public holiday. The government, different political parties and socio-cultural organizations celebrated the day through various programmes. This year a new dimension has been imparted to the celebrations following the execution of one of the war criminals convicted for committing crimes against humanity in 1971.
Thousands of people from all spheres of life, irrespective of religion, gender and age, thronged the National Memorial from dawn to pay rich tributes to the heroic sons of the soil, who made supreme sacrifices for Independence. Many of them chanted slogans demanding that all the war crimes convicts be immediately executed and vowed to make Bangladesh free of anti-liberation forces and militants. People who went to the National Memorial could be seen standing in a long queue to place wreaths at the memorial till noon.
On this day in 1971, Pakistani occupation forces had surrendered to the allied forces of the Indian army and freedom fighters after a nine-month war, resulting in the emergence of an independent, sovereign Bangladesh.
The day was heralded with a 31-gun salute at dawn. However, no parade was held this year as law enforcement personnel are busy ahead of the forthcoming election, scheduled for January 5.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial. The President and the Prime Minister placed wreaths at the altar of the National Mausoleum around 6.40am.
After placing the wreaths, President Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stood there in solemn silence for some time to pay their respects to the martyrs of the War of Liberation. President Abdul Hamid signed the visitor’s book, kept on the premises of the National Memorial.
A smartly turned out contingent of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force presented the state salute on the occasion, with bugles playing the last post.
Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia also paid homage to the martyrs of the War of Liberation at 8:10am.
The Chief Justice, the deputy leader of Parliament, ministers, the deputy Speaker, state ministers, chiefs of the three services, Members of Parliament (MPs), freedom fighters, diplomats, representatives of different development partners and high-ranking civil and military officials, among others, also placed wreaths at the National Mausoleum.
Deputy leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, deputy Speaker M Shawkat Ali and ministers and senior AL leaders, including Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Obaidul Quader, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Shahjahan Khan, Dr Hasan Mahmood, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Advocate Qamrul Islam, among others, were also present on the occasion.
Later, the Prime Minister released a commemorative postage stamp and a first day cover at her official Gonobhaban residence, marking the 43rd Victory Day.
Post and telecommunications minister Rashed Khan Menon, Ambassador-At-Large M Ziauddin and the PM’s press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad, among others, were present on the occasion.
Earlier, they also issued separate messages to mark the day, urging the people to work for consolidating the country’s sovereignty and independence.
The national flag was hoisted at all public and private buildings across the country on the occasion.
The AL chief, along with the senior leaders, also placed wreaths at the National Memorial on behalf of her party. She also paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi to mark the day.
After placing the wreaths, the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence for some time there as a mark of respect to the memory of the great leader.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid accorded a reception to freedom fighters at Bangabhaban in the afternoon.
Newspapers published special supplements while state-run and private radio and television channels broadcast special programmes, highlighting the significance of the day. Special prayers were offered at mosques, temples, churches, pagodas and other places of worship to seek divine blessings for the country’s peace and progress.
A children’s rally was staged at the Bangabandhu National Stadium while an arms exhibition was arranged at the National Parade Square.
Destitute children were allowed to visit Shishu Park (children’s park) in the city free of cost. Good diet was served in jails, hospitals, orphanages and vagrant homes across the country.
The main thoroughfares and traffic islands in the capital have been decorated with the national flag and important government buildings have been illuminated.
The ruling Awami League and the Opposition BNP organised various programmes, including discussion meetings. The AL programmes included paying tributes to the portrait of the Father of the Nation at Bangabandhu Bhaban and offering munajat and milad mahfil at the mazar of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj.
AL leaders and activists and its other front organizations gathered in processions at the historic Shaheed Suhrawardy Udyan, where Pakistani occupation forces surrendered to the allied forces of the Indian army and freedom fighters this day. They paid their respects at the Shikha Anirban.
The BNP programme was also include placing wreaths at the mazar of BNP founder president Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. The world’s largest human national flag of Bangladesh was created at the National Parade Ground in the city to mark Victory Day.
Private mobile phone operator Robi, in partnership with the Bangladesh Army, created the largest ever Bangladesh flag, which will be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
The incredible attempt started at 1:36pm, with 27,117 volunteers helping to create the flag. Each person held a coloured placard and the 27,117 people collectively created the largest flag in the world, smashing a standing Guinness World Record.
-With The Independent input
