The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: The nation is set to celebrate the Victory Day, the most precious day of the Bangalees, on Friday as the country was liberated from the Pakistani occupation forces on that day 51 years back after a nine-month-long bloodstained War of Liberation. On December 16 in 1971, Bangladesh was born as an independent country under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the cost of supreme sacrifice of three million people and the honour of nearly half a million women, reports BSS.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will issue separate messages on the occasion, paying glowing tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War in 1971. The programmes marking the ‘Victory Day’ will include a 31-gun salute, placing of wreaths at the monuments to pay homage to martyrs, hoisting of the national flags atop all government, semi-government and private offices as well as offices of autonomous bodies across the country. The victory day programmes also include decorating city streets and illumination of important buildings and establishments, roads and street islands at night.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar on the outskirts of the capital with the rise of the sun tomorrow. This will be followed by the family members of Bir Sreshthos, wounded freedom fighters and Bir Muktijoddhas while Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq will lead them. Later, foreign diplomats, leaders of Awami League and different political and social organisations and people from all walks of life will pay homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War. Combined forces will participate in a parade at the National Parade Square in the city at 10.30am tomorrow.

President Abdul Hamid will be present there and take salute while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also be present there. The day is a public holiday. National dailies will bring out special supplements on the occasion. The state-owned and private televisions and radios will broadcast special programmes highlighting the Liberation War. Marking the day, improved diets will be served to inmates of jails, hospitals, orphanages and vagrant homes across the country.

Besides, various political, social and cultural organizations including Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, will celebrate the day with different programmes. Besides, receptions of valiant freedom fighters and family members of martyrs will be held in the metropolis, districts and upazilas. Special prayers will be offered at mosques and other places of worship, seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of the Liberation War and peace, progress and prosperity of the country. Similar programmes will be taken at district and upazila levels as well as Bangladesh missions abroad, highlighting the significance of the day.