The nation celebrated the 47th Independence and National Day on Sunday with a fresh vow to root out militancy from the country and build a happy prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ free from poverty.
On March 26, 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh’s independence following the crackdown on unarmed Bangalees on the midnight of March 25 by the Pakistani occupation forces. After a nine-month bloody War of Liberation, the people of the country achieved its cherished independence on December 16, 1971. The day was a public holiday.
Different socio-political organisations across the country remembered the war martyrs through various programmes. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum in Savar in the morning.The President was the first to place a wreath at the altar of the National Mausoleum at 5:57 am. He was immediately followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence there for some time as a mark of respect to the memories of the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War. A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion while the bugles played the last post.
Later, flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, laid another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of her party. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking the day. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia also paid her tributes to the Liberation War martyrs placing a wreath at the National Mausoleum in the morning.
Teachers, students and employees of Dhaka University (DU), led by its Vice-chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, placed a wreath at the National Mausoleum in the morning.
Besides, special munajats were offered after Johr prayers in all mosques of DU while its Music Department arranged a cultural programme at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) in the evening on the occasion.
