Nation to celebrate 47th Independence Day
Online Desk : The nation is fully prepared to celebrate the 47th Independence and National Day with a fresh vow to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War and to build a “Sonar Bangla” as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On completion of the 46th anniversary of independence, the day this year carries special significance in the national life as forging national unity is badly needed at the moment to root out militancy from the country.On this auspicious occasion, glowing tributes will be paid to the martyrs and veterans of the War of Liberation.
The National Memorial at Savar will be the main venue of the celebration of the day where President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will place wreaths in the early morning as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs.
Families of Bir Shreshthas, war wounded freedom fighters, members of the diplomatic corps, leaders of different political parties, social, cultural and professional bodies and people from all walks of life will also lay wreaths at the national memorial in the morning.
Every year, March 26 brings the most tragic reminiscence of the history’s blackest episode that heralded a nine-month bloody ordeal from the night following March 25, 1971 in achieving the long-cherished independence on December 16 the same year at the cost of a sea of blood.
In the wake of the military crackdown, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who became the undisputed leader of the then Pakistan following the massive victory of his party, Awami League, in the 1970 general elections, declared independence of Bangladesh through the then EPR (East Pakistan Rifles) wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 (the night following March 25) in 1971 at his historic Road-32 residence at Dhanmondi here.
The great leader also called upon the people to build up strong resistance against the Pakistani barbaric occupation forces. The Pakistani military junta, in a bid to stop the legitimate movement of the Bangalees, arrested Bangabandhu on that night following his declaration of independence.
Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign country on December 16, 1971 with the surrender of the Pakistani occupation forces, who killed three million innocent Bangalees, perpetrated atrocities on 200,000 (two lakh) Bangalee women and burnt down lakhs of dwelling houses across the country during the nine-month war.
