The nation has celebrated the 44th anniversary of Victory, commemorating its glorious victory in a nine-month war against Pakistan occupation forces in 1971.
On this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani occupation forces, Gen AAK Niazi, along with his 93,000 Pakistani troops, surrendered at Ramna Racecourse, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka following their miserable defeat to the joint forces of Mukti Bahini and Mitra Bahini.
In one of the heinous acts of genocide in human history, the Pakistan army and their local collaborators had launched a barbarous crackdown on March 25, 1971 in the erstwhile East Pakistan at midnight past, killing innocent and unarmed people.
Strips of colored cloth placed to create a Bangladesh flag backdrop made by school children in anticipation of Victory Day 2012/ Dhaka Tribune
The nation, under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, finally clinched independence on December 16 after the nine-month Liberation War.
The day is a public holiday.
This year, the Victory Day is celebrated within one month into the executions of condemned war criminals Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid who were hanged for their war crimes in the early hours of November 22.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have issued separate messages, paying deep homage to the valiant freedom fighters who made the supreme sacrifice in the Liberation War for the cause of country’s independence.
Various political parties, socio-cultural organisations and educational institutions have chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion.
The national flag is hoisted atop all government and private buildings, while the government and semi-government buildings and other public places are illuminated and roads and islands decorated with flags and festoons in all cities of the country to mark the day.
A colourful parade was held at the National Parade Square at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 10:30am. President Abdul Hamid took salute and inspect the parade as the chief guest.
The Awami League has also taken various programmes to mark the day. National and party flags were hoisted at the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue and other offices across the country at dawn.
The ruling party also brought out a victory rally from Suhrawardy Udyan in the afternoon and held a discussion at Krishibid Institution at 3pm where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was present as the chief guest.
BNP hoisted national and party flags atop the party offices in the morning on the occasion. It also brought out a “V Day Rally” in the capital and will hold a discussion on Friday at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.
