President, PM pay tributes to war heroes

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh by placing wreaths at the National Monument at Savar on the occasion of the 46th Victory Day.

First the President and then the Prime Minister placed wreaths at 6:34am and paid their homage to the great heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation's independence.

Thousands of people pay their tribute to the martyrs in the Liberation War of Bangladesh 1971 with flowers at National Martyrs' Memorial at Savar, Dhaka. Star file photo

They stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of respect to the great sons of the soil.

A smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces gave a state salute, while the bugle played the last post at that time.

Members of the cabinet, PM's Advisers, parliament members, the chiefs of the three services, diplomats and high civil and military officials were present.

President Abdul Hamid also signed the visitor's book kept on the premises of the National Memorial.

Later, flanked by central leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina as the President of Bangladesh Awami League also laid another wreath at the National Monument.

On this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani occupation forces, Gen AAK Niazi, along with his 93,000 Pakistani troops, surrendered at Ramna Racecourse, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka following a miserable defeat to the joint forces of Mukti Bahini and Mitra Bahini.

In one of the heinous acts of genocide in human history, the Pakistan army and their local collaborators had launched a barbarous crackdown March 25, 1971 in the erstwhile East Pakistan at midnight past, killing innocent and unarmed people.

The nation finally clinched independence on December 16 after the nine-month Liberation War.