Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said that this year’s Victory Day should be a day of renewed national unity.
It should be a day to uphold the spirit of the Great Liberation War, advance genuine empowerment of the people, and pledge—at any cost—to protect the ongoing democratic transition, he said in a message issued on the occasion of the Victory Day.
The Chief Adviser said: “December 16 is our Great Victory Day—an unforgettable and glorious day in the history of Bangladesh. On this day in 1971, after nine months of bloody Liberation War, we achieved our long-cherished victory. Through immense sacrifice and the blood of our martyrs, Bangladesh gained independence. I extend warm Victory Day greetings to all Bangladeshis at home and abroad.”
He added: “I remember with deep respect the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Great Liberation War and the long struggle for independence. Their sacrifice inspires us with courage to stand against injustice and oppression and shows us the path to liberation in every crisis and struggle.”
Dr Yunus said: “Through victory in the Liberation War, a new sun of independence had risen, but in recent years it has repeatedly been dimmed by autocracy and misrule. Through the July mass uprising, we have once again gained the opportunity to establish a discrimination-free, corruption-free, and autocracy-free democratic system. The interim government has launched wide-ranging reforms, advancing toward a developed, well-governed Bangladesh with people’s collective participation.”
He expressed hope for ending autocracy, ensuring justice and accountability, and building a peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Bangladesh for future generations.