54 flag-paratroopers to set world record on Victory Day
As part of this year’s Victory Day celebrations, Bangladesh is gearing up to set a Guinness World Record for the highest number of paratroopers jumping with national flags.
To celebrate 54 years of independence, 54 paratroopers from the Bangladesh Army, Air Force, and Navy will leap from the sky carrying national flags. This will be the highest number of simultaneous flag-bearing parachute jumps in the world and is expected to be officially recognized by Guinness World Records.
Suchismita Tithi, Assistant Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, confirmed the development on Monday, December 8.
She said a preparatory meeting was held at the Chief Adviser’s Tejgaon office in the afternoon, ahead of the Victory Day celebrations.
The meeting was chaired by Farooq-e-Azam, Adviser to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser Siraj Uddin Miah, senior secretaries from the Home and Public Administration ministries, the Principal Staff Officer, and officials from relevant ministries attended the meeting and discussed large-scale preparations.
On December 16, starting at 11:00am, the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force will conduct separate flypast demonstrations at the old Tejgaon Airport, accompanied by a special Victory Day band show. At 11:40am, the 54-member “Team Bangladesh” will perform the historic flag-bearing parachute jump. The event will be open to the public.
Similar flypast demonstrations will take place in major cities. Nationwide, the armed forces, police, BGB, and Ansar will organize band shows open to all.
Like last year, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs will hold a three-day Victory Fair in every district and upazila. The ministry will also arrange Liberation War–themed essay, recitation, and art competitions for children, alongside cultural programs.
On December 15, an acrobatic show and a performance of the play General Osmany will be staged at Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan. On December 16, Victory Day songs will be performed there from 3:00pm, with artists from all 64 districts joining simultaneously in renditions of songs from Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra.
Adviser Farooq-e-Azam said Victory Day is a proud occasion for Bangladesh, and efforts are underway to ensure participation from people of all religions, ages, ethnicities, and social backgrounds.
Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki noted that many inspiring songs from the 2024 mass uprising echoed those of the Liberation War, highlighting how deeply the nation’s identity resonates with the younger generation. He said he expects this year’s celebrations to surpass all previous ones.
MU/MHK/NMA