Independence Day celebrated recalling martyrs, war heroes

BSS :
The 53rd Independence and National Day was celebrated across the country, commemorating the Liberation War heroes whose sacrifices ensured its freedom from Pakistani oppression in 1971.
The government took elaborate programmes marking the Independence and National Day.
The day’s programmes began by heralding gun salutes early in the morning as a mark of profound respect to the heroic struggle of this nation, which suffered a protracted subjugation under foreign rules from time to time till achieving its Independence in 1971.
On the occasion, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar here on Sunday morning.
After placing the wreaths, the President and the premier stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War.
A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute at that time while the bugles played the last post.
The President and the Prime Minister also signed the visitors’ book kept on the memorial premises.
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, senior Awami League leaders and high civil and military officials, among others,
were present on the occasion. Later, the Speaker and the Chief Justice also paid homage to the martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Memorial.
Flanked by her party leaders, AL President Sheikh Hasina also paid respect to the Liberation War martyrs by placing another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of the party.
AL presidium members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Shajahan Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman and Khairuzzaman Liton, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, joint general secretary and information and broadcasting minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretary Ahmed Hossain, publicity and publication secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, liberation war affairs secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, office secretary Biplab Barua, information and research secretary Selim Mahmud and cultural affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil were, among others, present.
Later, people from all walks of life, including families 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.
Leaders of Jatiya Party, BNP, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangadesher Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal placed wreaths at the memorial.
On the day, after returning from the National Memorial, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid glowing tributes to the Father of the Nation by placing a wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital.
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 times.
Flanked by party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu by placing another wreath at his portrait on behalf of the party.