SAVAR — Long before sunrise, the road to the National Martyrs' Memorial belonged to the people. Freedom fighters in fading green berets, schoolchildren clutching marigolds, rickshaw pullers who had pedalled all night from Nabinagar — all converged on the seven towering prisms that pierce the December sky.
At 6:34am, the exact moment of the 1971 surrender, a 31-gun salute thundered. The President and the Chief Adviser placed wreaths on behalf of the nation, followed by diplomats, the armed forces chiefs, and then — as tradition demands — the ordinary citizens for whom the martyrs died.
'I was 19 when I crossed into Agartala with nothing but a lungi and rage,' said Bir Protik Abdul Jalil, 74, leaning on his grandson's shoulder. 'I come here every year to tell my friends: we kept the flag. Now you children must keep the promise.'
Across the country, from the Shaheed Minars of Chattogram to the village memorials of Kurigram, similar scenes unfolded. In Dhaka, the Victory Day parade showcased the armed forces alongside floats depicting the Padma Bridge, metro rail and the July uprising — past and future in one frame.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Savar Correspondent • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
