Independence Day today
The nation celebrates its 55th Independence Day today amid fervour and with due honour.
The day is a national holiday.
Discussions, cultural programmes, and other events would mark the celebrations of the historic day as the nation鈥檚 nine-month-long war of liberation began on March 26, 1971, against the Pakistani military.
Secularism, democracy and socialism were the driving forces of the war of liberation, which the people of the country embarked on after decades of exploitation and misrule by then-West Pakistani vested interests.
The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947聽 converted this land into East Pakistan, the eastern wing of Pakistan that came into being based on the two-nation theory, to be ruled from Karachi, the capital of West Pakistan, some 2,000 kilometres away.
The growing inequality in socio-economic opportunities and benefits between the two parts of Pakistan prompted the eastern wing鈥檚 people to launch movement after movement for their rights soon after 1947 independence, culminating in the 1971 liberation war that was won on December 16 that year.
Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in his message on the eve of the day said that the interim government was fully committed to further developing and strengthening the country and delivering the full benefits of independence to the people.
鈥榃e are working to establish good governance and justice to ensure people-orientated and sustainable development, and ensure transparency and accountability through necessary reforms in all spheres of the state,鈥� he said.
He said, 鈥業 remember with reverence the valiant martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the War of Independence, whose supreme sacrifices brought us our desired freedom.鈥�
The chief adviser said that the people of the country had not been able to enjoy the benefits of this freedom for the past 16 years.
A 31-gun salute at dawn will herald the day.
The president and the chief adviser will place wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar after the gun salute.
Thereafter, families of the Bir Shreshthas, war-injured freedom fighters, members of the diplomatic corps, leaders of political parties and of socio-cultural, and professional organisations, and people from all walks of life will lay wreaths at the memorial.
Important buildings and establishments as well as city streets and islands will have colourful illumination.
The national flag will be hoisted atop government, semi-government, and private buildings. Improved food will be served in hospitals, jails, orphanages, vagrant homes, the Muktijoddha Kendra, and charity homes.
Newspapers will bring out special supplements, while television and radio stations will air special programmes marking the day. Political parties, socio-cultural organisations, professional entities, and various other institutions have planned elaborate events on the occasion.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party will hoist national and party flags at all party offices across the country to mark the day.
The party leaders and activists will lay wreaths at the National Memorial at 8:00am.
After laying wreaths at the National Memorial, BNP leaders will lay wreaths and recite Fateha at the grave of the party founder and late president Ziaur Rahman.
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and other social and cultural organisations will arrange discussions, cultural programmes, and sports competitions, while painting competitions, essay and debate competitions will be organised for children.
Liberation War-based documentaries and movies will be screened at cinema halls across the country.
The country鈥檚 children鈥檚 parks and museums will remain open to all.
Ships of the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard will be kept open to the public at Chattogram, Khulna, Mongla, and Payra ports, and Dhaka鈥檚 Sadarghat, Narayanganj鈥檚 Pagla, Barishal, and Chandpur BIWTA dockside from 9:00am to 2:00pm on the day.
Bangladesh missions abroad will also celebrate the day through similar programmes.
