President Mohammad Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday paid homage to the martyred members of the Armed Forces on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day 2021.

The President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and the Prime Minister separately placed wreaths at the altar of Shikha Anirban (flame eternal) at Dhaka Cantonment in the morning.

They stood there in solemn silence for a while as a mark of respect to memories of the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice during the War of Liberation in 1971.

A smartly-turned out contingent drawn from Army, Navy and Air Force presented a guard of honour at that time, while bugle played the last post.

Later, the President and the Prime Minister, also in-charge of the Ministry of Defence, signed the visitor’s book kept on the premises of Shikha Anirban.

Earlier on her arrival at Shikha Anirban, the Prime Minister was received by Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan and Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman.

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After the wreath-placing ceremony, the Prime Minister went to the Armed Forces Division (AFD) where PM’s security affairs adviser Major General (rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and chiefs of the three services made a courtesy call on her.

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On this day in 1971, the Bangladesh Armed Forces comprising Army, Navy and Air Force, came into being and launched an all-out attack on the Pakistani occupation forces which sped up the victory in the Liberation War.

Since the independence of the country, this historic day is being observed as the Armed Forces Day every year.