BANGLADESH

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who stood in for the Victory Day parade on behalf of the president, took the salute from the armed forces at the National Parade Ground on Friday.

President Zillur Rahman could not attend the programme due to health issues.

A pre-dawn 31-gun salute heralded the Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka.

The parade, a part of the day-long programmes to mark the Victory Day, was participated by Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Bangladesh National Cadet Core, Border Guard Bangladesh, Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Ansar and Village Defence Party, Coast guard, Fire service and Civil Defence personnel.

Ministry of Liberation War Affairs organised the parade with the Bangladesh Army leading the salute. Other forces saluted the prime minister afterwards with the Air Force's MiG-29 fighters performing a spectacular fly past.

The armed forces also demonstrated their skills performing fly pasts, parachute jumps, rappels from helicopters, etc.

The Savar units of the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP clashed over paying tributes at the National Memorial on Friday, marring the Victory Day celebrations.

In another development, the opposition has alleged that the motorcade of former prime minister Khaleda Zia was barred for quite sometime.

"Like all previous years, the opposition leader arrived at the venue to pay her respects early in the morning. But police barred her convoy a long way before the Savan Cantonment," BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.

He added that the government has 'failed' to maintain law and order at the venue. "Awami League cadres attacked our party activists when they went to lay floral wreaths at the memorial. We strongly criticise and protest such atrocity."

Locals said that the activists clashed at the Dhaka-Aricha Highway in the morning after ruling party activists tore down festoons put up by BNP marking the Victory Day in the stretch between Amin Bazar and the Memorial.

The groups chased and threw brickbats at each other. The situation was brought under control after around 15 minutes, Ashulia police's inspector Kamal Hossain said.

Around 7.16am, Khaleda along with BNP's top brass laid wreaths. She then stood there for some time in silence as a mark of respect for the martyrs.

The government's management failure led to Khaleda being unable to 'properly' pay respects to the 1971 Liberation War martyrs, Fakhrul added, "It is sad."

Khaleda also paid tribute at the grave of her husband, late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital around 8.30am. A prayer was also held there for the eternal peace of his soul. Associate organisations of the party followed suit laying wreaths at the grave.

Paying tribute to the memories of all freedom fighters including Ziaur Rahman, the party's spokesperson added, "We are celebrating the Victory Day today. Our pledge is to ensure that the spirit of the liberation war and democracy is established in the country, so that democracy is liberated from imprisonment."

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina led millions of Bangladeshis in an outpouring of tributes to the greatest sons of the soil on the 40th anniversary of victory at the National Memorial in Savar on Friday.

People in droves thronged the Memorial to pay their tributes from early hours. Hasina arrived there around 6.30am and laid wreath 10 minutes later to commemorate those who gave away their lives for the independence of the country.

A smartly turned contingent drawn from the three services presented a state salute in honour of the martyrs.

She remembered the gallant martyrs who laid down their lives for the country by standing in solemn silence for a few moments.

Her cabinet colleagues, heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force along with diplomats and other high-ranking government officials were also present there.

President Zillur Rahman could not travel to the National Memorial as he was ill.

After paying tribute as prime minister, Hasina again placed floral wreath as Awami League chief and later signed the visitors' book.

Opposition chief Khaleda Zia arrived at the memorial around 7.30am and paid her tributes to the martyrs with party supporters.

Acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Moudud Ahmed, M K Anwar and other senior leaders flanked the BNP leader.

WAR CRIMES TRIAL

The local government minister and Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told journalists that no attempt to stop the war crimes trial will be successful.

"It is our pledge on the 40th anniversary of victory that trials of the war criminals would be held on this soil and the verdict will also be implemented," he said.

Syed Ashraf also said that the government is moving forward to turn the country into a communalism-free democratic state.

THOUSANDS PAY RESPECTS

In tens and thousands, people came in thereafter as the memorial was opened to the people to pay their homage to the valiant sons of the soil who laid down their lives to liberate Bangladesh from the Pakistani rule. Scores of organisations and groups paid respect to the martyred freedom fighters and the memorial was deluged with flowers.


On this day 40 years ago, Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan when Pakistan military surrendered, ending the after a brutal nine-month freedom struggle sparked by Pakistani army crackdown on unarmed Bengalis on March 25 that year.