The nation is celebrating the great Victory Day on Monday anew marking the emergence of sovereign Bangladesh on December 16, 1971 after nine months of bloody War of Liberation and with the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's fascist regime on August 5, 2024.
Sheikh Hasina, whose demon rule lasted over 15 years, was driven out by a vast display of people power on the streets of the capital Dhaka and fled to India as her government had been facing an angry political backlash for continuous persecution on dissidents.
This year, the nation is observing the day with a new vigor and zeal as Bangladesh began again after topple of the tyrant government as most of the countrymen were calling it a "second liberation", half a century after independence.
To depose the dictator, hundreds of student-people sacrificed their lives, over 700 people lost their eye sights, many lost their organs, at least 24,000 people sustained bullet wounds, a large number of people had to fall prey to enforced disappearances while many wounded people are still in agony in hospital beds and many are in life-and-death situation.
The nation is taking 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 and this year from the clutches of Hasina's autocratic rule.
Tens of thousands of people belonging to different social groups and political, cultural, professional and academic organizations and institutions thronged the National Monument at Savar to pay homage to the heroes who embraced martyrdom to liberate the nation.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin has paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War by placing a wreath at the National Memorial, marking the 54th Victory Day.
The Head of the State laid the wreath at the altar of the National Memorial in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, at 6.34am.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta have paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar, marking the 54th Victory Day.
They laid the wreaths at the altar of the National Memorial at 7:05 am on Monday.
Chief Adviser of Interim Government of Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus is set to address the nation this morning marking the Victory Day.
The address is scheduled to be broadcast at 10am on Bangladesh Television and BTV World, the Chief Adviser's Press Wing said.
Political parties, socio-cultural and professional organizations and academic institutions followed them to place wreaths at the memorial.
A 31-gun salute heralded the Victory Day celebrations recalling the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation on the world map with the surrendering of Pakistani forces.
The national flag is hoisted atop government, semi-government and private offices and autonomous bodies across the country. Important buildings and establishments would be illuminated at night.
The victory day's programmes are set to be featured by discussion meetings and milad and doa mahfils.
The day is a public holiday.
The President and the Chief Adviser greeted the countrymen, in separate messages, on the eve of the day, and paid rich tributes to the Liberation War martyrs.
Leaders of socio-cultural organisations and political parties including the BNP also issued separate message on the occasion. They paid rich tributes to martyrs of the War of Liberation and prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls.
With BSS inputs
