Nation celebrates Independence Day

The 54th Independence and National Day was celebrated across the country on Tuesday, commemorating the Liberation War heroes whose sacrifices ensured the country’s freedom from Pakistani oppression in 1971.

The government arranged elaborate programmes marking the day.

The day's programmes began with gun salutes early in the morning to demonstrate a mark of profound respect for the heroic struggles of the nation, which suffered a protracted subjugation under foreign rule from time to time till achieving full independence in 1971.

Marking the day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, on Tuesday morning.

Besides, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is now on a four-day official visit to Bangladesh at the special invitation of President Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the 54th Independence Day celebrations, also paid respect to the Liberation War heroes by placing wreaths at 5:57am.

The president first placed a wreath at the altar of the memorial at about 5:56am, followed by prime minister and the Bhutanese king.

Bhutan was the first country to recognise Bangladesh as an independent state on 6 December 1971. After 11 years, Wangchuck, along with his wife, has come to Dhaka to attend the Independence Day events.

Earlier, the king and queen visited Bangladesh in 2013.

After laying the wreaths, the president, the premier and the king stood in solemn silence for some time in a show of profound respect for the martyrs of the Liberation War in 1971.

A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute commemorating the martyrs while the bugles played on.

The president, the premier and the Bhutanese King and Queen Jetsun Pema also signed the visitors' book kept on the memorial premises.

Flanked by her party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, paid tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of her party.

Members of the national parliament, the speaker, chief justice, ministers, advisers, senior politicians, as well as leaders of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance, valiant freedom fighters, chiefs of the three military services, diplomats, representatives of different development partners and high-ranking civil and military officials, among others, were present on the occassion.

Ruling party Presidium Member and Deputy Leader in House Matia Chowdhury; the party's General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader; Presidium Members Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Shajahan Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman and Khairuzzaman Litton; Joint General Secretaries Dr Hasan Mahmud, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim; Organizing Secretary Ahmed Hossain; Publicity Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap; Information and Research Secretary Dr Selim Mahmud; Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua; and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan, among others, were present at the event.

Later, people from all walks of life, including family members of Bir Shreshthas, war-wounded freedom fighters, members of the diplomatic corps, leaders of different political parties, social, cultural and professional bodies, placed wreaths at the National Memorial.

After returning from the National Memorial, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in the capital this morning.

After laying the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, also the great architect of independent Bangladesh and the greatest Bangalee of all time.

Bangabandhu's younger daughter and only sister of the Premier, Sheikh Rehana, was also present there.

Besides, a smartly turned out contingent drawn from the Bangladesh Army,

Navy and Air Force presented a state salute at the time.

Flanked by party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the Awami League, paid rich tribute to Bangabandhu by placing another wreath in his portrait on behalf of the party.

Marking the day, the Prime Minister later released a commemorative postage stamp, a first-day cover and a data card at her official Ganabhaban residence there.