Today is the 43rd celebration of Bangladesh’s Victory in the Liberation War, the day the Bangali people ended the Pakistani occupation of their country.
On this day 43 years ago, the enemy surrendered at the historic Dhaka Racecourse grounds.
The day marks the end of 23 years of injustice which led to the Liberation War that broke out on March 26, 1971.
As many as three million people were killed, more than two hundred thousand women were raped, no less than 10 million became refugees, and some three million were displaced in wartime from the night of March 25, 1971, when the occupation force launched the notorious Operation Searchlight aimed at crushing Bangali self-determination.
The nation is prepared to to celebrate the day with great enthusiasm.
President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Begum Rowshan Ershad in separate messages congratulated the nation on the occasion, BSS reported.
Elaborate programs have been chalked out to mark the day. The day will commence with a 31-gun salute, the raising of the national flag atop all national institutions and the laying of wreaths at the National Memorial Monument at Savar. Special prayers will be held across the country for the salvation of the souls of the martyrs of the Liberation War. The wreath laying will start at 6:34am at the National Memorial Monument at Savar and will continue throughout the day. Wreath laying at the portrait of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Road 32, Dhanmondi will start at 8 am. At 10am wreaths will be laid at Bangabandhu’s mausoleum in Tungipara, Gopalganj. By noon, leaders and workers of the Awami League, including MPs, will go to their respective areas to organise victory rallies and assemble at the sites where the Pakistan army surrendered.
In Dhaka, they will assemble at the Shikha Anirban at Suhrawardy Udyan at 4:20pm, the time when the Pakistan army surrendered in 1971.
Later the assembled people will go to Road 32, Dhanmondi. A meeting will be held at the Krishibid Institution tomorrow.
Sammilito Sangskritik Jote will hold a programme at 10am at the Central Shaheed Minar. Gonojagoron Moncho has also announced an elaborate programme at Suhrawardy Udyan at 4:30pm.