Today is Bangladesh’s Victory Day

Darwin, 16 December: Today is Bangladesh’s Victory Day—a glorious and unforgettable day that reflects the thousand-year-old courage, valor, and heroism of the Bengali nation. It is the day the Bengalis emerged as a brave nation, the day the world was informed of the birth of an independent territory named Bangladesh.

Following a nine-month-long bloody War of Liberation in 1971, Bangladesh was freed from the grip of the Pakistani occupying forces, and this historic day is observed as Victory Day.

On December 16, 1971, Bangladesh was born as an independent nation at the cost of the lives of three million martyrs and the honor of two hundred thousand mothers and sisters. Victory Day commemorates the moment when the Pakistani forces surrendered and Bangladesh emerged as an independent state on the world map.

The celebrations began with a 31-gun salute. On the occasion of Victory Day, in the morning, the President of Bangladesh, Md. Sahabuddin, followed by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, laid wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals’ Monument at the National Memorial in Savar. Later, under the leadership of the Adviser for Liberation War Affairs, families of Bir Sreshthas, war-wounded freedom fighters, and valiant freedom fighters also paid their respects by placing wreaths.

Foreign diplomats stationed in Bangladesh, along with various political and social organizations and people from all walks of life, paid tribute to the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice in the great Liberation War.

On this occasion, the national flag has been hoisted at all government, semi-government, autonomous and private buildings, as well as at Bangladesh embassies and missions abroad, and important buildings and installations have been illuminated. Major roads and traffic islands in Dhaka and other cities across the country have already been decorated with national flags, banners, festoons, and colorful pennants.

As part of the grand nationwide celebrations of Victory Day, a world record will be attempted through parachuting with the highest number of national flags. On Tuesday morning from 11:00 a.m., the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force will separately conduct fly-past displays at the old Tejgaon Airport. A special Victory Day band show will also be held there.

In addition, 54 paratroopers of “Team Bangladesh” will perform a flag-carrying skydiving display from 11:40 a.m. to mark 54 years of the country’s independence. This will be the world’s largest flag-parachuting display and is expected to set a new Guinness World Record.

Similar fly-past displays by the armed forces will also be conducted in other cities of the country. Alongside this, the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Ansar forces will organize band shows nationwide. All events will be open to the general public.

Marking Victory Day, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs will organize three-day-long Victory Fairs in all districts and upazilas across the country. District and upazila administrations will arrange recitation, essay-writing, and drawing competitions on the Liberation War for children, as well as cultural programs to celebrate the day.

At 9:00 a.m., students of educational institutions at divisional, district, and upazila levels will assemble to hoist the national flag, perform the national anthem, and participate in parades.

At 3:00 p.m., Victory Day songs will be performed at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, while young artists across all 64 districts of the country will simultaneously perform songs of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra.

On this occasion, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and various social and cultural organizations will arrange discussions on the Liberation War, cultural programs, children’s art and essay competitions, sports events, and screenings of Liberation War–based documentaries.

Bangladesh missions abroad will also undertake similar programs highlighting the significance of the day.

At district and upazila levels, sports events such as football matches, T20 cricket tournaments, kabaddi, and ha-du-du will be organized at convenient times with the participation of students from schools, colleges, madrasas, and other educational institutions.

In the afternoon, the President will host a reception for members of the families of Bir Sreshthas at Bangabhaban. Similar receptions will also be organized for freedom fighters and families of martyrs at metropolitan, district, and upazila levels.

The Bangladesh Postal Department will release commemorative postage stamps on the occasion. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and private television channels and radio stations will broadcast special programs highlighting the glorious history of the Liberation War.

Across the country, cinema halls will screen Liberation War–based films free of charge for students, while documentaries on the Liberation War will be shown at auditoriums and open venues. Government and autonomous museums will remain open to the public free of entry fees throughout the day, while children will be allowed free entry to all recreational centers nationwide.

Additionally, Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard ships will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. until sunset at Chattogram, Khulna, Mongla, and Payra ports, as well as at BIWTC jetties including Dhaka Sadarghat, Pagla, and Barishal.

Special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples, churches, pagodas, and other places of worship, seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of the martyred freedom fighters, recovery for the injured veterans, and peace and progress for the country.

Furthermore, improved meals will be served to residents of hospitals, prisons, old-age homes, orphanages, street-children rehabilitation centers, disability welfare centers, daycare centers, child development centers, children’s homes, and underprivileged children across the country.