Bangladesh celebrates its Victory Day today. It was on this day in 1971, that the country was liberated from the Pakistani occupation forces after a nine-month-long War of Liberation. The nation would take a renewed pledge to translate into reality the hopes and aspirations of the War of Liberation and the dreams of the martyrs who made supreme sacrifices to liberate their beloved motherland from the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.
Tens of thousands of people belonging to different social groups and political, cultural, professional and academic organizations and institutions are expected to throng the National Monument at Savar, near Dhaka, to pay homage to the heroes who embraced martyrdom to liberate the nation.
President Muhammad Sahabuddin is to be the first to offer wreaths at the monument amid a ceremonial honour guard while Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is to follow him.
Political parties, socio-cultural and professional organizations and academic institutions are expected to follow them to place wreaths at the memorial. A 31-gun salute will herald the Victory Day celebrations recalling the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation on the world map with the surrender of Pakistani forces. To commemorate the Liberation War of 1971, India and Bangladesh invite each other’s War Veterans and serving officers to participate annually in each other’s Victory Day celebrations, said the High Commission of India in Bangladesh through an official Facebook post. On the 53rd anniversary of the Liberation War, eight valiant Muktijoddhas and two serving officers of Bangladesh Armed Forces departed for India on Sunday to participate in Vijay Diwas celebrations at Kolkata. Similarly, eight Indian War Veterans and two serving officers of the Indian Armed Forces reached Dhaka to participate in Bangladesh’s Victory Day celebrations, said the High Commission. These bilateral visits provide a platform for Bangladesh Muktijoddhas and Indian War Veterans to celebrate the unique friendship of the two countries and to renew memories of the Liberation War. This memory epitomises the shared sacrifices of the armed forces of India and Bangladesh for the cause of Bangladesh’s freedom from occupation, oppression and mass atrocities, said the High Commission. On this day in 1971, the Pakistani armed forces led by General A A K Niazi surrendered before the Indian army and the Mukti-Bahini liberation force of Bangladesh with over 90,000 of his troops.
