President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar on Sunday (Dec 16) morning marking the 49th Victory Day.

After placing the wreaths, the president and the premier 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.

A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion when bugles played the last post.

Members of the cabinet, advisers to the prime minister, parliament members, the chiefs of the three armed forces, diplomats and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, laid another wreath at the National Memorial as the party chief.

Later, Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and leaders of different political and socio-cultural organisations placed wreaths at the National Memorial.

The nation is celebrating the 49th Victory Day today marking the most precious day when the country was liberated from the Pakistani occupation forces after a nine-month-long War of Liberation.

Forty-seven years back on December 16 in 1971, Bangladesh was born as an independent country under the leadership of the Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and for the supreme sacrifice of 3 million martyrs and the honour of 200,000 women.