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Published : 17 Dec 2025, 12:31 AM
“This day is a remembrance of our independence. Every year we come here, and now I bring my children. They are the ones who will carry Bangladesh forward,” said businessman Faruk Ahmed, explaining why he had brought a boy and a girl to the National Memorial on Victory Day.
“We want to show them what victory means. They have never truly seen it, so we feel a duty to teach them,” he added upon his visit on Tuesday.
Acknowledging the ongoing debates surrounding the Liberation War, Faruk said: “No amount of distortion can erase the truth. Had we not achieved independence, we would not be the Bengalis we are today.”
Another parent, identified only as Mobarak, accompanied his young daughter and college-aged son in the traditional colours of victory.
“We’ve come to teach them how Bangladesh gained its independence in 1971, to instil the pride and history of that achievement,” he said.
He emphasised that no defeated force can overturn the Liberation War’s history. “They were vanquished, yet they claim independence belongs to them. Their words are of no consequence,” he said.
College student Mostafizur Rahman Sabbir, echoing his father, said: “We earned this country at the cost of the lives of nearly 30 million martyrs. I’m not deeply involved in politics, but any attack on our independence is painful. The narrative some are trying to present to the next generation is simply unacceptable.”
From the early hours, citizens streamed to Savar’s National Memorial, defying attempts to politicise or distort the Liberation War.
State leaders, including President Mohammed Sahabuddin and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, paid respects at dawn, with a guard of honour provided by the armed forces.
People of all ages, from children to the elderly, adorned in red and green, arrived with flowers, flags, and songs of patriotism. Cultural groups, educational institutions, and civic organisations joined the throng, turning the memorial into the timeless symbol of victory.
Veteran freedom fighters, including Sector 1 veteran Sheikh Ruhul Amin, called on citizens to stand firm against attempts to undermine the 1971 struggle.
“Where democracy is weak and secularism distant, we must rise again, at any age, to uphold the ideals of 1971,” he said.
Students, including Jahangirnagar University history major Lamisha Zaman, asserted that no matter how history is rewritten, the new generation recognises the true custodians of victory.
“Any group that disputes or denies the Liberation War will not be allowed to influence Bangladesh’s future,” she said.
Abdul Hakim added, “Victory Day is the most significant day of our national life. Millions sacrificed their lives for this achievement. Today, a group attempts to belittle our triumph and the events of 1971. We must unite to preserve the glory of our independence and honour our martyrs.”
Political leaders echoed the sentiment. Mizanur Rahman, secretary of the Gono Forum, said: “The state we built through the Liberation War is our greatest achievement. Attempts to question it today threaten not only our history but the democratic progress following the July Uprising.”
Ruhin Hossain Prince, former general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, urged the youth to learn the real history, warning that distorted narratives are being used for political gain.
“We must rescue the Liberation War from those who seek to exploit it and ensure Bangladesh advances along the path of its true aspirations,” he said.
From sunrise to sunset, the National Memorial bore witness to a nation united -- honouring its heroes, educating its youth, and celebrating the undying triumph of 1971.
