Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
At daybreak Thursday, all roads led to the national memorial for homage paying as Bangladesh celebrated its Independence Day with great respect to the sacrifices made by the martyred freedom fighters.
It appears as semblance solidarity rekindled as national leaders and people from all walks of life offered petals and wreaths at the independence memorial at Savar, before celebrations marking the 56th Independence Day and National Day were set off in the capital, Dhaka, and across the country.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presented wreaths of flowers at the National Martyrs' Memorial (Jatiya Smriti Saudha) in Savar as tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at dawn.
After the state offerings, they stood for a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs while the bugle played a mournful tune following the state salute.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Aazam Khan, Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher, State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani and the chiefs of the three Armed Forces were present.
The National Memorial was opened to the public after VIPs paid their respects.
Political parties, different platforms, family members of martyred freedom fighters paid their homage.
Later, a ceremonial 31-gun salute in the Old Airport area in Tejgaon, Dhaka, took place in honour of the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War.
A military march-past was held at the National Parade Square of the old airport grounds in Tejgaon.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin attended event and received salutes while Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the three heads of Armed Forces, Cabinet members, senior government officials, diplomats, and Bangladesh and foreign guests were in attendance.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was welcomed by Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan, State Minister Ishraq Hossain, and the heads of Armed Forces.
Members of armed forces, paramilitary and other forces took part in the march past exhibiting their strength in terms of skill and apparatus.
The event also featured performance by 26 paratroopers, who jumped down from 10,000 feet above onto the parade ground while carrying the national flag and the flags of the different forces.
The parade was organised by the government as part of Independence Day celebration for the first time in 18 years, since 2008.
The event was broadcast live by state-run Bangladesh Television as well other private commercial channels.
Television channels also aired different programmes highlighting the significance of the Independence Day while print media published special issues on the occasion.
Media outlets as well as different platforms and individual creators shared contents and post highlighting the great liberation war of 1971.
Different social and cultural organisations also organised rallies, seminar, discussion and cultural functions.
Foreign leaders and diplomats, including Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Russian Ambassador in Bangladesh Alexander G Khozin greeted the nation.
"Their messages reflected Bangladesh's expanding diplomatic engagement and its growing significance in regional and global affairs," one official said.
saif.febd@gmail.com