The nation is set to celebrate Victory Day on Saturday, the most joyous December 16th when the country was born against the supreme sacrifice of three million martyrs and the honour of nearly half a million mothers and sisters, with elaborate programmes.
On this glorious day in 1971, Bangladesh was liberated as an independent country after the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered following a bloody nine-month-long war.
Various programmes will be held on this day to pay deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country during the Liberation War in 1971.
Along with the government, different socio-political, educational and cultural institutions and organisations have chalked out a series of programmes to celebrate the day. Bangladeshis will celebrate the day at home and abroad.
The day’s programme will begin with a 31-gun salute.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum in Savar with the rising of sun.
They will be followed by the freedom fighters and their family members, foreign diplomats, leaders of Awami League and different political and social organisations and people from all walks of life.
Later, foreign diplomats, leaders of different political and social organisations and people from all walks of life will place wreaths to pay homage to the martyrs.
The national flag will be hoisted atop government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices across the country.
All children's parks and museums will be open to the public without tickets and cinema halls will screen films based on the Liberation War for free.
On this day, an exhibition of documentary films and posters based on the history and tradition of the Liberation War will be organized at the ‘Swadhinota Stombha’ and the Museum of Suhrawardy Udyan.
Bangladesh embassies abroad will also undertake similar programs highlighting the significance of the day.
The day is a public holiday. National dailies will bring out special supplements on the occasion.
State-owned and private television channels and radios will broadcast month- long special programmes highlighting the significance of the Liberation War.
Receptions will be accorded to the freedom fighters and family members of martyrs at city, district and upazila levels.
Destitute children will be allowed to visit the children park in the capital on the day free of cost. Improved diets will be served in jails, hospitals, orphanages across the country.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued a message on the occasion.
In her message, the Prime Minister said the establishment of the nation-state 'Bangladesh' through the victory of the War of Liberation on 16 December 1971 was the greatest achievement of the Bangalee nation.
Responding to the clarion call of the Greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Bangalee nation achieved the ultimate victory on this day in 1971 after 23 years of intense political struggle and nine months of blood-shedding War of Liberation, said the PM.
She said, “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib elevated Bangladesh to a 'least developed' country, and we took the motherland to the row of a 'developing' state on the auspicious occasion of 'Mujib Year' and the Golden Jubilee of our victory. Everything we have achieved in the last 51 years since our Independence has been attained by the Father of the Nation and the Awami League.”
She also hoped that this trend of development will continue, Bangladesh will be established as a hunger-poverty-free and developed- prosperous country by 2041 as dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She urged all to spread the spirit of the great Liberation War from generation to generation- “let this be our pledge on this Victory Day.”