President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar, Dhaka, early Thursday morning, marking the 56th Independence and National Day.
The President and the Prime Minister laid wreaths at the memorial altar at 6:00 am and observed a moment of solemn silence to honor the memory of those who sacrificed their lives during the Great Liberation War of 1971.
A smartly turned-out contingent from the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force presented a state salute as bugles played the Last Post. Both leaders also signed the visitors’ book at the memorial premises.
Accompanied by cabinet members and BNP Standing Committee members, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, also the chairman of the ruling BNP, placed two additional wreaths at the National Memorial.
Special prayers were offered seeking forgiveness for the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War, the 1990 Anti-autocracy Movement, and the 2024 July Uprising. Prayers also sought divine blessings for Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, as well as welfare for the country and success for the current government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Jatiya Sangsad Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, senior BNP leaders, cabinet members, members of parliament, and high civil and military officials were also present. Later, on behalf of Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal and Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury placed wreaths at the mausoleum to pay homage to the martyrs.
Every year, March 26 serves as a solemn reminder of history’s darkest chapter, marking the start of a nine-month-long bloody ordeal from the night of March 25, 1971, that eventually led to the long-cherished independence on December 16, achieved at the cost of countless lives.
Source: BSS