Bangladesh celebrates 45th Independence Day Saturday March 26,2016

Bangladesh is observing the day it emerged as a sovereign nation 45 years ago, breaking the shackles of Pakistani suppression after a bitter Liberation War that lasted nine months.

The Pakistan Army swooped down on the unarmed innocent Bengalis on the night of March 25, 1971, to smoke out their struggle for freedom.

They carried out genocide in the first hours of that night in Dhaka, codenaming the attack the ‘Operation Searchlight’.

Bengalis put up a valiant resistance and snatched victory on December 16 after nine months of Liberation War.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, before being arrested by the Pakistani forces on that night, declared independence.

But, the undisputed leader of the Bengalis had effectively announced the nation’s independence at the historic March 7 rally at the Race Course grounds, when he thundered: “This time the struggle is for our freedom. This time the struggle is for our independence.”

The nation is paying tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War on the Independence Day, a national holiday.

Saturday’s events started with a 31-gun salute at dawn. President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina then placed wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar as a mark of respect to the martyrs.

 

 

A guard of honour presented by a smart contingent of the Armed Forces was followed by melancholic tunes played on the bugle.
After them, the speaker and deputy speaker of Parliament, Cabinet members, judges and chiefs of the three armed services and other high-level officials paid their tribute.

The memorial was then adorned with flowers and wreaths offered by political parties, social and cultural organisations, and people from all walks of life.

Children later gathered at the Bangabandhu National Stadium for a programme and parade to be attended by Hasina.

All important buildings and establishments were illuminated on Friday night ahead of the Independence Day.

The national flag was hoisted at all government, semi-government, statutory and private establishments on Saturday morning.

Newspapers have published supplements to mark the day, while state-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, and private radio and TV stations are broadcasting special programmes.

 

Facebook greets Bangladeshis on Independence Day

Facebookers saw the greetings message after Friday midnight. The message contained a drawing of four persons pulling up the national flag of Bangladesh using ropes.
The Bangladeshi users thanked Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg in return posts.

Google celebrates Bangladesh’s 45th Independence Day with doodle

 

Google Inc has also marked the day by putting up a doodle on its home page by creating the red and green from the national flag, and a bridge in the second 'O'.
The mouseover text on the artistic version of the Google logo reads 'Bangladesh Independence Day' in both English and Bangla.
The Google doodle is the logo above the search box on the homepage.