Bangladesh has begun celebrating the 51st year of its victory in the Liberation War against Pakistan as President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar to pay tribute to the martyrs on Friday morning.

After the memorial premises opened to the public, various political and social organisations paid their tributes to the valiant freedom fighters. Hundreds of people visited the memorial with flowers in hand, while many wore red and green headbands.

Shandhaya Roy, a trustee of Gonoshasthaya Kendro, said, “We expect Bangladesh to be self-dependent, and prosperous. Bangladesh is advancing in knowledge and science. Our women are moving forward. We hope that this progress continues.”

A number of young people also visited the memorial with their parents. Junaid Ahmed Akhter, a seventh-grader at Sher-E-Bangla School and College, said, “I've been coming here to pay tribute to the martyrs from a very young age. I want Bangladesh to be ahead in every way.”

On Saturday, the ruling Awami League will organise a victory parade from Suhrawardy Udyan to Dhanmondi 32. Hasina will preside over the party’s Victory Day discussion at Krishibid Institution.

As the British colonial rule ended in 1947, Bengalis were once again shackled, this time by West Pakistan.

But the people of the then East Pakistan soon found a champion for their cause in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who would go on to deliver on his promise to break the chains of West Pakistani oppression.

As the discontent simmered after over two decades of West Pakistani rule, the Pakistan Army swooped down on the unarmed innocent Bengalis on the night of Mar 25, 1971, to crush their struggle for freedom.

But Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the Bengalis, had effectively announced the nation’s independence at the historic Mar 7 rally at the Race Course grounds, when he proclaimed in a thundering voice: “This time the struggle is for our freedom. This time the struggle is for our independence.”

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

Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niyazi, the martial law administrator of the then East Pakistan, signed the official document of surrender sitting next to Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora, the joint commander of Indian forces and the Mukti Bahini of Bangladesh, at the Ramna Race Course ground, now Suhrawardy Udyan.