Dhaka: The government has planned a series of programmes nationwide to commemorate the Great Independence and National Day in a fitting manner.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the celebrations will include disseminating messages from President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman through print, electronic, and social media. Newspapers will contribute by publishing special articles, literary magazines, and supplements.
On March 26, the day will commence with gun salutes across all districts and upazilas, including Dhaka. The national flag will be prominently displayed atop government, semi-government, autonomous, and private buildings at sunrise. Large national flags will also be hoisted at Bangladesh embassies and missions abroad, city corporations, and visible high-rise buildings in Dhaka.
The President and Prime Minister will pay homage to martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Memorial. This will be followed by tributes from the Bir Shrestha family, war-wounded and valiant freedom fighters, and foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka. Additionally, the President will host a reception at Bangabhaban for the families of Bir Shrestha and living freedom fighters who received gallantry awards.
At 8 am, the national flag will be officially hoisted at divisional, district, and upazila levels, accompanied by the national anthem. Rallies and student displays from educational institutions will also be organized. Essay, recitation, and painting competitions will be held in educational institutions, alongside discussions on the significance of the day. Similar discussions will be conducted in Bangladesh embassies abroad.
Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard ships at various BIWTC ghats, including Chattogram, Khulna, Mongla, and Payra ports, will be accessible to the public from 9 am to sunset on March 26. Commemorative postage stamps will be issued, and sports events like football matches and T-20 cricket tournaments will be organized at district and upazila levels.
Television and radio stations, including BTV and Bangladesh Betar, will broadcast programmes highlighting the Liberation War’s history. Films on the liberation war will be screened free in cinema halls nationwide. Museums of government and private/autonomous organizations will remain open for public access from morning to evening, and entertainment centers will welcome children.
Colourful cultural programmes are set to take place at all tourist centers. Special munazat will be arranged in mosques, and prayers will be offered in temples, churches, and pagodas for the departed souls of martyred freedom fighters, the well-being of freedom fighters, and the nation’s peace and prosperity.
Furthermore, feasts will be organized in public hospitals, prisons, children’s homes, street child rehabilitation centres, and other welfare centres throughout the country.