Bangladesh remembers 1971 heroes on Victory Day with pledge for secular society

Bangladeshis have renewed the pledge to build a rich country by thwarting militancy, fundamentalism and communalism on the 45th anniversary of the victory over Pakistan.

After over two decades of West Pakistani rule, Bengalis in then the East Pakistan won a bloody war to carve out an independent state on Dec 16, 1971.

The nation paid tribute to the three million martyrs of the war on the Victory Day on Friday.

National flags were hoisted atop government, semi-government, non-government and residential buildings. The National Memorial in Savar and other monuments across the country were covered with flowers of love and respect.

People sporting red and green outfits carried national flags in Victory Day marches.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tribute at the National Memorial in Savar at 6am.

They observed a moment of silence in memory of the martyrs.

The sound of the bugle cut through the winter morning chill as soldiers saluted the heroes of the Liberation War that put an end to repression by the Pakistanis.

Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, Leader of the Opposition Raushon Ershad, Cabinet members, MPs, Supreme Court judges, the heads of the armed forces, war veterans from the Indian Army and foreign diplomats paid tributes by placing flowers at the memorial.  

After them, crowds of people descended on the memorial bringing flags and flowers for the special day.

BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, flanked by senior party leaders, placed wreath at the memorial around 11am.    

The war that raged on for nine months after the declaration of independence by the nation’s father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ended with the Pakistan Army’s surrender at Ramna Race Course, which is now Suhrawardy Udyan.

Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niyazi, martial law administrator in what was the East Pakistan, signed the official document of surrender sitting next to Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora, the joint commander of Indian forces and the Mukti Bahini.

In a ride backwards, those who had violently opposed the independence struggle, clawed their way back to politics again only within four years of liberation, after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

With the return of the Awami League to power in 2009, Bangladesh started trying those who committed crimes against humanity during the war. Freedom fighters view the hanging of six war criminals as a new victory.

After paying respects to the martyrs, Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu said the country is moving ahead under Hasina’s leadership by removing 'war crimes garbage’ before adding that ‘the remaining garbage will be removed'.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said the government has started the process to confiscate the assets of the war criminals.

Freedom fighter Idris Ali from Savar said, "It's a relief that the war criminals have been tried. The trial of others will needs to be completed as well."

Six-year-old Moni Aktar came to the National Memorial with her father Sayeef Chowdhury. She face was glistening with happiness after she placed flowers at the memorial.

Sayeef said he brought his daughter there to introduce her to the Liberation War and the nation's history.

One Akash Mahmud from Rampura said, "My expectation is that the otherh war criminals will also be tried, and communalism and extremism will end."

Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, the alliance of all cultural organisations, took out a procession from the Central Shaheed Minar to Dhaka University's TSC with the slogan - 'Build unity to end communalism'.

Jote President Golam Kuddus said the martyrs did not sacrifice their lives for a mere change of the national flag.

"We wanted a country where people from all religions and all levels of society will live in peace and harmony...that's why democracy, socialism, secularism and nationalism were added to the Constitution as fundamental principles," he said.

Ruling Awami League also organised a procession marking the Victory Day.

"The main obstacle to cement the victory is communalism. So our vow will be to prevent and defeat this communalism under Sheikh Hasina's leadership and build a secular Bangladesh dreamt by Bangabandhu," General Secretary Obaidul Quader said at the programme.

A 31-gun salute at the National Parade Ground at sunrise set off Victory Day celebrations.

A contingent of freedom fighters, armed forces and security forces took part in the colourful parade at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

President Hamid arrived around 10am and was greeted by Hasina, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and heads of the three forces.

The Army, Navy, Air Force, BNCC, BGB, Police, RAB, Ansar, VDP, Coast Guard, Fire Service and Civil Defence Force took part in the parade, organised by the 9th Infantry Division.

The president inspected the parade and took salutes from an army jeep.

Thousands of people from different walks of life enjoyed the two-hour long parade.

In Chittagong, a huge crowd gathered at the Shaheed Minar with flags and flowers to celebrate the final victory in the Liberation War.

A police team was the first to place flowers at the Shaheed Minar, followed by politicians and general people.

The freedom fighters remembered those martyred in the nine-month war.

They then led the others in taking a pledge to eliminate war criminals and extremists from Bangladesh.

Expatriates Welfare Minister Nurul Islam BSC, State Minister for Land Saifuddin Chowhdury Javed and City Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin placed wreaths on the monument.

Deputy Inspector General Md Shafikul Islam, Chittagong Police Commissioner Iqbal Bahar and Deputy Commissioner Samsul Arefin also paid tribute.

The Shaheed Minar was opened to the crowd gathered at the premises after the Awami League, BNP and other political and cultural organisations paid their respects.

Prime Minister Hasina released five commemorative stamps and two first-day covers on the Victory Day.

She also released two data cards and souvenirs from the Ganabhaban, her official residence.

Important buildings and establishments were illuminated. Key roads and road islands were bedecked with national flags and colourful festoons.

Special prayers were offered in mosques, temples, pagodas and other places of worship seeking peace, progress and prosperity.

Newspapers have published special supplements marking the day while televisions and radio stations aired special programmes.