Earlier, Hamid and Hasina paid tribute to the freedom fighters by laying wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar.
After the memorial complex was opened to the public, various political and social organizations paid their tributes to the brave freedom fighters. Hundreds of people visited the memorial with flowers in hand, while many wore red and green headbands.
As British colonial rule ended in 1947, Bengalis were once again enslaved, this time by West Pakistan.
But the people of erstwhile East Pakistan soon found a champion for their cause in the form of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proceeded to fulfill his promise to break the chains of West Pakistani oppression.
As discontent erupted after more than two decades of West Pakistani rule, the Pakistani army raided unarmed innocent Bengalis on the night of March 25, 1971, to crush their struggle for independence.
But Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the Bengalis, had effectively declared the country’s independence at a historic rally at the Race Course grounds on March 7, when he thundered: “The struggle this time is for our freedom. This time the struggle is for our freedom.
After nine months of liberation war, on 16 December the Bengalis bravely resisted and won.