President, PM pay tribute to Liberation War heroes

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing a wreath at the National Memorial in Savar, marking the 50th Victory Day.

President M Abdul Hamid placed the wreath at the altar of the National Memorial at about 6:30 am followed by PM Sheikh Hasina. After placing the wreath, the president stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of deep respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Liberation War in 1971.

The president also signed the visitors’ book kept on Memorial premises.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina stood in solemn silence for a minute as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971.

Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion when the bugles played the last post.

Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League (AL), laid another wreath at the National Memorial as the party chief.

Younger daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and prime minister’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana was also present there while the Awami League paid glowing tributes to the war heroes.

Later, Jatiya Sangsad speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, chief justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and leaders of different political as well as socio-cultural organisations placed wreaths at the National Memorial.

The nation is celebrating the 50th Victory Dayon Thursday as the country was liberated from the Pakistani occupation forces on the day 50 years back after a nine-month bloody war.

On 16 December in 1971, Bangladesh was born as an independent country under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the cost of supreme sacrifice of three million people and the humiliation of 200,000 women.

The celebration of the Victory Day this year has added a new dimension as the day is being celebrated coinciding with the two giant events - birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and golden jubilee of the country’s independence.

Along with the government, different socio-political, educational and cultural institutions, and organisations have chalked out a series of programmes to celebrate the day.

As part of the state programmes, the prime minister was present at the parade in the National Parade Square at 10:30pm, while president Md Abdul Hamid will take salutes and inspect the parade as the chief guest.

Sheikh Hasina also released the memorial postal stamp at her official residence Ganabhaban marking the Victory Day.

She also unveiled a logo inscribed with “Mujib’s Bangladesh”, the brand name of Bangladesh Tourism and released the memorial postal stamp on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee celebrations of the country’s independence.

In the afternoon, the prime minister administered an oath to the nation as part of the two great celebrations.

She also joined the ceremony of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and the golden jubilee of the country’s Independence at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad.