The nation today celebrates the 41st Victory Day when in 1971 the people triumphed in a war of independence against the Pakistani occupation forces.
People of all walks of life pay their tribute today to the martyrs of 1971 by holding and joining programmes across the country. This day in 1971, the country achieved its independence to emerge as Bangladesh after the nine-month struggle for national independence.
The day, which is a holiday, is heralded with a 31-gun salute at dawn in the National Parade Square.
All the preparations have been made for paying tributes to the valiant sons of the soil who laid down their lives for the country’s independence.
In one of the worst acts of genocide in human history, the Pakistan army and their local collaborators launched a barbarous crackdown, killing the innocent and the unarmed in the erstwhile East Pakistan at midnight on 25 March, 1971.
The Jamaat-e-Islami and some Islamist political parties of the time actively collaborated with the Pakistani forces, raising paramilitary forces such as Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams which took part in the genocide.
This day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Aabdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the allied forces, led by General Jagjit Singh Aurora, of India in the Ramna Race Course, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka after their defeat in the war.
People will throng the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar to pay homage to the heroes who embraced martyrdom to liberate the country.
The president, Zillur Rahman, the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, leader of the opposition in the parliament, Khaleda Zia, also the BNP’s chairperson, and other political leaders issued messages on the occasion calling on the people to work together to build a democratic and prosperous Bangladesh imbued with the spirit of independence.
The president will place flowers on the National Martyrs’ Memorial at sunrise. He will take the salute of the national day ceremonial parade in the National Parade Square.
Various ministries, the Armed Forces, paramilitary forces, Fire Service and Civil Defence and freedom fighters will join the parade.
Vehicles but for the invited will not be allowed on the roads passing around the National Parade Ground between 7:00am and 12:30pm on Friday, said a handout of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The president Zillur Rahman, in his message, paid tributes to the valiant freedom fighters.
He said that one of the main objectives of the independence war was to attain geographical sovereignty and economic self-sufficiency and to establish just and equivalent society.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in her message said the history of struggle for independence was not a casual event rather the culmination of the struggle of the Bengali nation for 23 years.
She urged all, irrespective of party affiliation, opinion, class, caste and creed, to work together to build a happy and prosperous country.
‘Before the golden jubilee celebrations of our independence in 2010, the present government has set “Vision 2010” to transform Bangladesh into a middle-income country. It is my conviction that we would be able to achieve the goal by using our human resources and information technology by the stipulated time,’ she hoped.
In her message, Khaleda paid tributes to all war heroes and martyrs. ‘Although the country was freed from foes in 1971, hegemonic forces are still conspiring to destroy our independence and sovereignty. And some quarters in our country are assisting them in implementing the blueprint of the evil axis.’
She also called for the forging of national unity to protect the country’s freedom and sovereignty.
The national flag will be hoisted atop all government buildings across the country. Important buildings of the Armed Forces will be illuminated in the evening.
The ruling Awami League will place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial and at the mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Bangabandhu Bhaban in the morning, and will bring out a victory procession from Shikha Chirantan in Suhrawardy Uddyan at 3:00pm.
A discussion will also be held in the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at 3:00pm which the party chief Hasina will attend as chief guest.
Khaleda will place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at 7:30am. The BNP will bring out a victory procession in the afternoon from the party’s central office at Naya Paltan. The BNP also held a discussion on Thursday in Dhaka marking the day.
Dhaka University teachers and students will celebrate the day with various programmes on the campus.
The Sector Commanders’ Forum will celebrate the moment of the signing of the instrument of surrender by General Niazi at Shikha Chirantan at 3:40pm.
The Dhaka north and south city corporations will accord a reception to war heroes in Osmani Udyan at 10:30am.
The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal and Gana Forum will place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in the morning, along with the Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and the Samajtantrik Sramik Front. The Communist Party of Bangladesh will hold a discussion in front of the party’s office at 4:00pm.
The Sammilita Sangskritik Jote will bring out a procession from the Central Shaheed Minar at 10:00am.
The Liberation War Museum will hold a daylong cultural programme for children on its premises.
The Muktijoddha Oikya Parishad will place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial, Bangabandhu Bhaban and Shikha Chirantan.
The Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts will begin a three-day art camp, Bijay Dibas Chitramela, at the Bengal Centre.
The Bangladesh Medical Association will place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at 8:00am.
The Bangabandhu Sangsritik Jote will hold a rally at Shikha Chirantan at 4:30pm and light candles in memory of the martyrs.
The Swadhinata Academy will hold the Bangabandhu Book Fair at the Central Public Library.
The Nazrul Academy will hold a discussion in its auditorium at 6:00pm.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police began celebration of the day at Thursday night and held fireworks exhibition at zero hours of the day at the Rajarbagh police lines.
-With New Age input
