Bangladesh on Thursday celebrated the country’s 56th Independence and National Day in a befitting manner with rich tributes to the national heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the country’s liberation.
On the occasion, president Mohammed Shahabuddin, prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Jatiya Sangsad speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, chief justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, other state office bearers, political parties, socio-cultural organisations and common people, paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the 1971 War of Independence.
At 6:00am, the president and the prime minister placed floral wreaths at the altar of the National Memorial in Savar and stood in solemn silence for some time to show respect to the memories of the martyrs.
After they left the memorial, Jatiya Sangsad speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, chief justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, Jatiya Sangsad deputy speaker Kayser Kamal, the cabinet members, the opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman, and the chiefs of armed forces paid their homage to the Liberation War martyrs.
The altar of the memorial was covered with floral wreaths from the early hours of the morning, as people from all walks of live continued to arrive with flowers, banners, and national flags to honor the nation’s heroes.
Earlier at sunrise, the Bangladesh Army marked the national day with a ceremonial 31-gun salute in the old airport area at Tejgaon in the capital to honour the martyrs.
At about 7:00am, the prime minister also offered special prayers at the graves of his parents, the late president Ziaur Rahman and the former prime minister Khaleda Zia, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area in Dhaka.
Later, at about 10:00am, the president and the prime minister, along with high officials, arrived at the National Parade Ground at Tejgaon.
Accompanied by Major General SM Asadul Haque, the parade commander and also General Officer Commanding of 9th Infantry Division and Area Commander of Savar area, president Shahabuddin, inspected the parade and took the salute of armed forces personnel, riding an open jeep.
Muktijuddha Sangsad, Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Coast Guard, Ansar and VDP, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps, Bangladesh Jail and combined female contingents participated in the parade.
The president, the prime minister, Liberation War affairs minister Ahmed Azam Khan, prime minister’s defence adviser retired Brigadier General AKM Shamsul Islam, chief of army staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, chief of naval staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, air chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, along with other high officials, also witnessed the attractive flag-bearing skydive, armoury acquisitions of different regiments and contingents of the armed forces, spectacular fly-past and aerobatic display.
On the occasion of Bangladesh’s Independence Day, British King Charles III extended his best wishes to the Bangladesh president and the people of Bangladesh, expressing his goodwill to Bangladesh’s leadership and its people, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the United States’ secretary of state Marco Rubio also congratulated the people of Bangladesh on the occasion of Independence Day, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and partnership.
Colonised by the Pakistan regime, liberation-seeking Bengali people in the then East Pakistan began armed struggle in the early hours of March 26, 1971, following the brutal crackdown launched the previous night.
After a nine-month War of Independence and the supreme sacrifices of three million people, Bangladesh achieved its independence on December 16, 1971.
Since 1972, Bangladesh has been celebrating March 26 as the Independence and National Day, which is also a public holiday.
Celebrating the day, the national flag was hoisted atop all government, semi-government, autonomous, and private buildings at sunrise while newspapers published special articles.
At afternoon, the president hosted a reception at Bangabhaban for the families of Bir Shrestha recipients and living freedom fighters who received gallantry awards.
District and upazila administrations also hosted reception programmes for heroic freedom fighters.
Educational institutions organised essay, recitation, and painting competitions, and a discussion to celebrate the national day.
Bangladesh missions abroad also organised discussions on independence and the liberation war.
After offering special prayers at the graves of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, the local government, rural development and cooperatives minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, also the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general, said that the country’s people continued to fight against a fascist regime for more than 15 years and finally, through the 2024 July uprising, they created an opportunity to create a new democratic system.
He added that by forming the government after the post-uprising elections, prime minister Tarique Rahman has been engaged in the work of nation-building.
