The nation is set to celebrate the 49th Victory Day today (Monday) to pay deep homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. On this day in 1971, Pakistani occupation forces surrendered after a nine-month war resulting in birth of free, independent and sovereign Bangladesh.
Commemorating the glorious victory in 1971, the government has chalked out different programmes to celebrate the Victory Day at the national level. People from all walks of life will pay rich tributes to the heroic and illustrious sons of the soil who laid down their lives to liberate their beloved motherland from the occupied forces.
The two greatest historic episodes of the country and its people, will add an extra colour to this year’s Victory Day celebration. These are --birth centenary celebrations of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in March 2020-2021 while another one is the golden jubilee of independence of Bangladesh to be celebrated in 2021.
Meanwhile, all sorts of preparation have been completed to celebrate the Victory Day in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country in a befitting manner amid much enthusiasm. On this day, the country, under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and for the supreme sacrifice of three million people and the honour of nearly half a million women, finally clinched independence after the nine-months War of Liberation.
On December 16 in 1971, Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, CO of Pakistani occupation forces along with his 93,000 troops signed the Instrument of Surrender. The surrender took place at the Ramna Race Course now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka following a 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 killing innocent and unarmed people in the erstwhile East Pakistan at midnight past March 25, 1971. The day will begin with 31-gun salutes. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreath at the National Mausoleum at Savar today morning.
The Victory Day will also be celebrated across the country and Bangladesh’s missions abroad with a fresh vow to uphold the spirit of the hard-earned independence and democracy. The day is a public holiday. After the assassination of Bangabandhu, the country’s democratic system and fundamental rights of the people had been held hostage under the 22 years of rule of military dictators, vested quarters and BNP-Jamaat led anti-liberation forces.
Besides, country’s War of Liberation’s history had also been distorted in many ways. Even many deep-rooted conspiracies were also plotted to erase the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and pro-liberation forces from the history. The rest is history. In this regard, in flashbacks people may recall the two dictators - Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad and BNP-Jamaat led government who attempted to erase and twist history one after the other.
When Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina came to power in 1996, she started to work on restoring the genuine history. Under her dynamic leadership the country began moving forward undertaking massive development works including implementing mega projects.
The day is not far away when the dream of Bangabandhu’s ‘Sonar Bangla’ would be realized as Bangladesh is making long strides in all sectors.
Bangladesh has become a role model of socio-economic development under the prudent policies and dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Country’s all sectors including economic, agriculture, industry, education, health, science and technology are playing vital role in achieving the success.
To mark the victory day, the national flag will be hoisted atop all government, semi-government and other important establishments.
People from different social groups and political, cultural, professional and academic organisations and institutions will throng the National Mausoleum in Savar to pay homage to the heroes who embraced martyrdom to liberate the motherland.
Besides, different political, socio-cultural, professional and academic organisations have taken up elaborate programs to mark the Victory Day. Special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples, churches and other worship places, seeking divine blessings for peace and progress of the country. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private television channels will air special programmes while newspapers will bring out supplements on the day.
BSS adds; Awami League and its associate bodies, different educational institutes and socio-cultural and professional organisations will also pay homage to the supreme leader of the War of Liberation by placing garlands at his portrait. Different organizations including Sector Commanders Forum and Muktijuddho 71′ will organise discussion and display Liberation War related documentary.
Receptions will be accorded to freedom fighters and family members of martyrs at city, district and upazila levels. Improved diets will be served to inmates of jails, hospitals, orphanages and vagrant homes across the country. Destitute children will be allowed to visit children’s parks and other recreational centres across the country free-of-cost. Marking the Day, Awami League (AL) will organize two-day long programme.
As a part of its programme, national flag will be hoisted at AL central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban and all AL offices across the country with the rise of the sun. Wreaths will be placed at National Mausoleum at Savar at dawn and at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban on Dhanmondi 32 road in the city.
AL leaders will offer fateha at the grave of Bangabandhu at Tungipara at 10am. Special doa and milad mahfil will also be held. A discussion will be organised at 3 pm on December 17 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the discussion.
Besides, ‘Bijoy-Mancha’ (stage of victory) will be built at upazila and district levels across the country from December 16, where discussion on history of the Liberation War, photo and film exhibition, documentary, songs on liberation war and cultural programmes will be held.
Earlier, in 2017, the celebration had reached a new height following the UNESCO’s recognition of Bangabandhu’s historic March 7th Speech as a part of the world’s documentary heritage. On October 30 in 2017, the UNESCO announced the prestigious acknowledgement of one of the world’s most glorious speeches, through which Bangabandhu effectively decelerated the country’s independence in a mammoth public rally at Ramna Racecourse ground (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka on March 7, 1971.
The speech inspired the Bengali nation in their quest for freedom and energised freedom loving people for freeing the country through War of Liberation.