Victory day is celebrated on 16 December

commemorating the ultimate victory in our Liberation

War in 1971. On this day in 1971, Pakistani Army
surrendered in Dhaka marking the end of nine months
atrocities in Bangladesh.

PRESENTED BY
HUMYRA HESAB

16 DECEMBER
THE VICTORY DAY OF BANGLADESH
The nation is set to celebrate 53rd Victory Day on Saturday with due solemnity and rich tributes paid to
the martyrs of the Liberation War of 1971.

Elaborate programs have been arranged marking the most joyous December 16th when the country was
born against the supreme sacrifice of three million martyrs and the honor of nearly half a million mothers
and sisters.

On this glorious day in 1971, Bangladesh was liberated as an independent country after the Pakistani
occupation forces surrendered following a bloody nine-month-long war.

Various programs will be held on this day to pay deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives
for the country during the Liberation War in 1971.

Along with the government, different socio-political, educational and cultural institutions and
organizations have chalked out a series of programs to celebrate the day. Bangladeshis will celebrate the
day at home and abroad.

Introduction: Victory Day is a red-letter day in our national life. The 16th of
December is the victory day in Bangladesh. We achieved our freedom through victory on the 16th
of December in 1971. Known as ‘Bijoy Dibos’ in Bengali, this holiday commemorates the victory
of the Allied forces High Command over the Pakistani forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War in
1971. Since then we have been living as an independent nation. So, the 16th of December is the
most significant event for us.

HISTORY :In 1971 Bangladesh fought the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan to
become an Independent country, which resulted in the secession of East Pakistan from the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan and established the sovereign nation called Bangladesh. The war pitted East
Pakistan and India against West Pakistan, and lasted for a duration of nine months. One of the most
violent wars of the 20th century, it witnessed large-scale atrocities, the exodus of 10 million refugees
and the killing of 3 million people by the Pakistani armed forces.

On 16 December 1971, Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, CO of Pakistan Armed
Forces located in East Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender. The Instrument of Surrender
was a written agreement that enabled the surrender of the Pakistan Eastern Command in the
Bangladesh Liberation War, and marked the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the Eastern
Theater.

The surrender took place at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. Lieutenant
General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi and Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, Joint Commander
of Indian and Bangladesh Forces, signed the instrument amid thousands of cheering crowds at the
racecourse. Air Commodore A. K. Khandker, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Armed
Forces, and Lieutenant General J F R Jacob of the Indian Eastern Command, acted as witnesses to
the surrender. Also present were Vice-Admiral Mohammad Shariff, commander of the
Pakistani Naval Eastern Command and Air Vice-Marshal Patrick D. Callaghan of the Pakistan Air
Force's Eastern Air Force Command, who signed the agreement. On behalf of Bangladesh, Air
Commodore A. K. Khandker acted as witness to the surrender. Lieutenant J F R Jacob, Chief of
Staff of the Indian Eastern Command, along with the other commanders of Indian naval and air
forces, acted as witnesses on behalf of India. Aurora accepted the surrender without a word, while
the crowd on the race course started shouting anti-Nazi and anti-Pakistan slogans.

CELEBRATION: The celebration of Victory Day has been taking place since 1972. The
Bangladesh Liberation War became a topic of great importance in cinema, literature, history lessons
at school, the mass media, and the arts in Bangladesh. The ritual of the celebration gradually obtained
a distinctive character with a number of similar elements: Military Parade by the Bangladesh Armed
Forces at the National Parade Ground, ceremonial meetings, speeches, lectures, receptions and
fireworks displays. Victory Day in Bangladesh is a joyous celebration in which popular culture plays a
great role. TV and radio stations broadcast special programs and patriotic songs. The main streets
are decorated with national flags. Different political parties and socioeconomic organizations
undertake programs to mark the day in a befitting manner, including the paying of respects at Jatiyo
Smriti Soudho, the national memorial at Savar in Dhaka District.

Importance: The day has great importance in our national life. We have earned
name and fame for this day. Now we are the citizens of a free country. We are enjoying equal
rights. We do everything freely. We are living with respect. We don’t need to bow down our heads
before any force. The whole world knows our country now. The day is a great inspiration. It
encourages us to go ahead.
Conclusion: In conclusion, we can say that Victory Day is our pride.
The day has given us new recognition. The day has given us names and fame.
So, we are proud of the day.

REFERENCES:
• WIKIPEDIA
• DHAKA TRIBUNE
• ASSIGNMENT POINT
• IMAGES ARE COLLECTED FROM GOOGLE