<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">DHAKA - The 52nd Victory Day, the most precious day of the Bangalee nation, was celebrated today across the country in a befitting manner.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">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 the supreme sacrifice of three million people and the honour of nearly half a million women.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the occasion, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar this morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The President placed the wreath at the altar of the National Memorial at about 6.32 am followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After placing the wreaths, the President stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of deep respect to the memories of the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A smartly turned out contingent drawn from the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented the state salute on the occasion, as the bugles played the last post.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The President also signed the visitors' book kept on the Memorial premises.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">After placing the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the ruling Awami League, placed another wreath at the National Memorial as the party chief.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Prime Minister also signed the visitor's book kept there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, AL presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Dr Abdur Razzaque, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Shajahan Khan, Quamrul Islam and Abdur Rahman, its joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dr Dipu Moni, Dr Hasan Mahmud (also information and broadcasting minister) and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries Ahmad Hossain, BM Mozzamel Haque and Abu Sayeed Al Swapan, publicity and publication affairs secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, cultural affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil, since and technology affairs secretary Abdus Sabur, health and population affairs secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana and forest and environment affairs secretary Delwar Hossain were, among others, present on the occasion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Later, leaders of other political and socio-cultural organisations placed wreaths at the National Memorial to show respect to the memories of the war martyrs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Dhanmondi Road No 32 in the capital and laid separate wreaths, as Prime Minister and the AL President, at the portrait of the Father of the Nation in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides, the programmes taken at national level marking the 'Victory Day' included a 31-gun salute, placing of wreaths at the monuments to pay homage to martyrs, and hoisting of the national flag atop all government, semi-government and private offices as well as offices of autonomous bodies across the country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The victory day programmes also included decorating city streets with miniature national flags and colourful festoons, and illumination of important buildings and establishments, roads and street islands at night. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>