Victory Day elebrated

The nation celebrated Friday the 40th anniversary of its glorious victory over the Pakistani occupation forces, paying rich tributes to three million martyrs for their supreme sacrifice, reports UNB. People from all walks of life and ages came to the streets, paid respect to the martyrs, danced, rendered songs and poems, and held public meetings to express their joy. Thousands of freedom-loving people of all ages rushed to the National Mausoleum at Savar and paid their glowing tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives to free the Bengalis rom the repressive Pakistani rule in 1971. The national flag was hoisted atop all government, semi-government and other important establishments. The day was a public holiday. Different political and socio-cultural organisations passed the day with various programmes reflecting the spirit of the Liberation War. Newspapers published supplements while electronic media telecasted programmes highlighting the significance of the occasion, achievements and remaining tasks. On this day, in 1971, the people under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman liberated the country after a nine-month bloody war with the Pakistani occupation forces. General AAK Niazi, who had commanded the Pakistani occupation forces, surrendered to the allied forces of Bangladeshi freedom fighters and Indian forces at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on December 16 with 93,000 soldiers following a miserable defeat in the war that broke out in March 1971. President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia in their separate messages greeted the nation on the auspicious occasion.