Staff Reporter :
The nation celebrates the 50th Victory Day as a day of glory on Thursday with various programme across the country.
This day is the most precious to the people of the country as they got liberation from the Pakistani invader forces on the day 50 years back.
The Victory Day on December 16 in 1971 after a nine-month-long bloodstained war.
Bangladesh was born as an independent country through the bloody war against the invader forces at the cost of supreme sacrifice of hundreds of thousands people and the honour of nearly half a million women.
The celebration of the Victory Day this year has added a new dimension as the day is set to be celebrated coinciding with the two giant celebrations of birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and golden jubilee of the country’s independence.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion, paying glowing tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War in 1971.
Marking the two celebrations, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee has taken up a two-day special programme titled ‘the Great Hero of the Great Victory’ at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad in the city from December 16 to 17. At the beginning of the first day’s programme, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
is expected to administer an oath to the nation at 4:30pm on Thursday as part of the celebrations.
At the second session of the programme, a discussion will be held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
President M Abdul Hamid will be present as the chief guest while his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind will be the guest of honour at the discussion.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will speak at the event while Chief Coordinator of the implementation committee Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury will deliver the welcome speech.
On December 17, a cultural function will be organised on the Sangsad premises around 5:30pm.
All programmes marking the giant celebrations will be held maintaining the health guidelines.
Besides, the programmes taken at national levels marking the ‘Victory Day’ will also include a 31-gun salute, placing of wreaths at the monuments to pay homage to martyrs, hoisting of the national flags atop all government, semi-
government and private offices across the country.
The victory day programmes also include decorating city streets with miniature national flags and colourful festoons, and illuminations of important buildings.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar on outskirts of the capital with the rise of the sun on Thursday.
The programme will be followed by the family members of Bir Sreshthos, wounded freedom fighters and Bir Muktijoddhas while Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque will lead them.
Later, foreign diplomats, leaders of Awami League and different political and social organisations and people from all walks of life will pay tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War.
Contingents of Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force as well as Freedom Fighters, Para-military forces, law enforcement agencies and various ministries of the government will participate in the parade to be held at the
National Parade Square in the city at 10.30am.
President Abdul Hamid will be present there, and inspect the parade and take salute on the occasion while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will witness the parade.
Besides, a discussion over upholding the spirit of the Liberation War will be held on the occasion.
Following the health guidelines, special prayers will be offered at mosques and other places of worships. All children parks and museum across the country will remain open for all and Liberation War based movies will be screened at the cinema halls at free of cost on the day.
A poster exhibition and historical documentary screening will be held at Swadhinata Stambha and Underground Museum at the Suhrawardy Udyan in the city. Similar programmes will be taken at district and upazila levels as well as Bangladesh missions abroad.
The day is a public holiday.
National dailies will bring out special supplements on the occasion while Bangladesh Postal Department will release memorial postage stamps.
The televisions and radios will broadcast special programmes. Marking the day, improved diets will be served to inmates of jails, hospitals, orphanages and vagrant homes across the country.
Besides, various political, social and cultural organizations will celebrate the day with different programmes.
