Nation celebrating Independence Day

The nation is celebrating the 52nd Independence and National Day today in a befitting manner.

The government has taken elaborate programmes marking the Independence and
National Day.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate
messages extending heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to the
countrymen living both home and abroad on the eve of the day.

The day's programmes began by heralding gun salutes early in the morning as a
mark of profound respect to the heroic struggle of this nation, which
suffered a protracted subjugation under foreign rules from time to time till
achieving their long-cherished Independence in 1971.

The national flag is being hoisted atop all government, semi-government,
autonomous and private buildings with the rises of sun while all streets and
important city intersections are decorated with national and multi-coloured
miniature flags and festoons.

Important buildings and establishments as well as city streets and islands
have been illuminated with colourful lights.

The National Martyrs' Memorial at Savar has become the main venue of the
celebration of the day.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths
early in the morning as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the
martyrs.

People from all walks of life, including families of Bir Shreshthas, war
wounded freedom fighters, members of the diplomatic corps, leaders of
different political parties, social, cultural and professional
bodies, also laid wreaths at the national memorial in the morning of the day.

National dailies have brought out special supplements while Bangladesh Betar,
Bangladesh Television, private radio stations and television channels are
airing month-long special programmes on Liberation War and highlighting the
significance of the day.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, National Museum, Liberation
War Museum, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and other social and cultural
organisations arranged discussions, cultural programmes and sports
competition while painting competition for children, essay and debate
competitions have been organized virtually.

Liberation War based documentaries and movies are being screened at cinema
halls across the country.

Reception will be accorded to freedom fighters and the members of martyred
freedom fighters at city, zilla and upazila levels, while Bangladesh Postal
Office published commemorating postal stamps.

Special prayers are being offered at all mosques, temples, churches and other
places of worship across the country seeking divine blessings for the eternal
peace of the departed souls of Father of the Nation, four national leaders,
martyrs of the War of Liberation and all other patriotic sons of the soil.

Doa mahfil (special prayers) will be arranged at the mosques across the
country including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zohr prayer.
Christian community members arranged special prayers at Tejgaon Church and
Mirpur Baptist Church (3/7-a Senpara Parbata, Mirpur-10), Buddhist community
members at International Buddhist Monastery at Merul Badda and Hindu
community members at Dhakeshwari National Temple.

Improved meals have been be served to the inmates of hospitals, jails, old
homes and orphanage centres to mark the day. The country's all children's
parks and museums are remained open for all.

Naval ships of Bangladesh Navy will be exhibited at Sadarghat in Dhaka, Pagla
Naval Jetty in Narayanganj, Naval Jetty, New Mooring in Chattogram, BIWTA
Rocket Ghat in Khulna, Digraj Naval Berth, Mongla, BIWTA ghats in Barishal
and Chandpur from 2pm until the sun sets.

The missions abroad will also celebrate the day through similar programmes.

Different political parties including ruling Awami League as well as socio-
cultural and professional organisations have also taken various programmes to
observe the day in a befitting manner.

The AL's programme includes hoisting of national and party flags atop
Bangabandhu Bhaban along with central and party offices across the country in
the morning immediately after sunrise and paying of rich tributes at the
National Memorial at Savar at 6am.

AL leaders and workers also paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait in front of
Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number-32.

A delegation of the party placed wreath at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at
Tungipara in Gopalganj while doa and milad mahfil have been arranged there.

Awami League will hold a discussion at the party's central office at
Bangabandhu Avenue at 3pm on March 27.

AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will chair the discussion
through videoconferencing from her official Ganabhaban residence.

Marking the day, an e-poster has been published at the initiative of Father
of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Centenary Celebration
National Implementation Committee.

The national implementation committee has requested all to disseminate the e-
poster widely in national dailies, electronic, online and social media.

Every year, the March 26 brings the most tragic reminiscence of the history's
blackest episode that heralded a nine-month bloody ordeal from the night of
March 25, 1971, achieving the long-cherished independence on December 16 the
same year at the cost of a sea of blood.

In the wake of the military crackdown, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who became the undisputed leader of the then Pakistan
following the massive victory of his party, Awami League, in the 1970 general
elections, declared the independence of Bangladesh through the then EPR (East
Pakistan Rifles) wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 (the night following
March 25) in 1971 at his historic Road-32 residence at Dhanmondi here.

The great leader also called upon the people to build up strong resistance
against the Pakistani barbaric occupation forces.

The Pakistani military junta, in a bid to stop the legitimate movement of the
Bangalees, arrested Bangabandhu on that night following his declaration of
independence.

Later, Bangabandhu was taken to the then West Pakistan where he had to spend
nine months in a dark condemned cell.

Bangabandhu wrote down the declaration of independence soon after the
Pakistani army cracked down on the fateful night of March 25, 1971.
The declaration of independence was soon put on air by wireless. The
declaration was first broadcast by Awami League leader MA Hannan from
Kalurghat Radio Station in port city of Chittagong on March 26, 1971.

The Pakistani military junta in their monstrous outburst unleashed a bloody
holocaust breaking the silence of the night following March 25 in 1971 when
they mercilessly killed hundreds of innocent sleeping Bangalees, including
teachers, students, police, soldiers, pedestrians and rickshaw-pullers, here.

The nation soon launched the War of Liberation at the call of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the early hours of March 26.

Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign country on December 16,
1971 with the surrender of the Pakistani occupation forces, who killed three
million innocent civilians, perpetrated atrocities on two lakh Bangalee women
and burnt down lakhs of houses across the country during the nine-month
bloody war.

Source: BSS

AH