A grateful nation celebrated the 45th Independence and National Day on Thursday paying deep homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War.
The day was heralded with a 31-gun salute in Tejgaon Old Airport area at dawn. The national flag was raised atop all government, non-government and private buildings in the morning.
The day was a closed public holiday. National dailies published special supplements while Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and other private TV channels and radio stations aired special programme highlighting the significance of the day. The Bangladesh Post office Department released a commemorative stamp marking the day. The day was also observed in all the divisional and district headquarters and Bangladesh Missions abroad with identical programmes.
Early in the morning, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on behalf of the state, placed wreaths at the National Memorial paying deep homage to the martyrs.
The President and the Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time paying glowing tributes to the martyrs when the last post was played on the bugle and a smartly turned out squad of the armed forces gave a guard of honour.
Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and Deputy Speaker Advocate Fazle Rabbi Miah also paid glowing tributes to the martyrs placing wreaths at the National Memorial.
Leaders of different political parties and organisations placed wreaths at the National Memorial for Martyrs, Savar in the morning. A Bnp delegation headed by Lt Gen Mahbubur Rahman placed wreaths at the memorial and the mazar of Bnp’s founder Shaheed Ziaur Rahman.
The Chief Justice, members of the cabinet, Prime Minister’s advisers, chief whip of the Jatiya Sangsad, lawmakers, chiefs of the three forces, diplomats, high civil and military officials, war wounded freedom fighters, family members of the Bir Shreshthras and martyrs, and eminent citizens and senior leaders of Awami League (AL) were present.
Hundreds of leaders and workers of AL, its associate bodies and other socio-cultural-professional bodies as well as people from all walks of life thronged on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum for their turn to place wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation marking the day.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the chief guest at a juveniles rally and took salute at their march past at Bangabandhu National Stadium. Students of different educational institutions took part in the march past and displayed physical exercises at the function.
In the afternoon, President Md Abdul Hamid hosted a reception to the elite of the society, diplomats, civil and military officials, politicians and professionals at Bangabhaban on the occasion.
Earlier in the morning, the President of the Republic also went round the military hardware displayed at the National Parade Square in the city marking the Independence and National Day. – News Desk
