Victory Day | The 16th of December

Victory Day Celebrations at Dhaka University. Picture By: Atiqur Rahman

The nine month long Bangladesh's Liberation War (মুক্তিযুদ্ধ) was won on the eve of the 16^th of December. The Bangla Nation- Bangladesh was freed from the clutches of Pakistan. This day is Celebrated as the Victory Day (বিজয় দিবস) allover Bangladesh and among Bangladeshis living abroad to uphold the spirit of liberation and to pay tribute to the three million martyrs; who laid down their lives protesting against the tyrannical and racist Pakistani Rule.

On 16^th of December, 1971 not just the Bangladeshis but also the Bengalis on the Indian side celebrated the Birth of "Bangladesh". I remember my grandmother describing the situation in West-Bengal and other parts of India when the Great News of Liberation of Bangladesh was heard over the radio; the entire Bengali community as well as the non-Bengalis were overjoyed. Newspapers and periodicals featured news of the numerous lives lost and the bravery of the Bengali people in Bangladesh. The cries of “JOY BANGLA” & “JOY BONGOBONDHU” filled the air. Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had then become the Bengali icon- the Father of the Bengali Nation.

Hot air balloon at Shurarwardy Udyan on Victory Day.
Photo Courtesy: Ihtisham Kabir's blog Back to Bangladesh

Courtesy: Flickr- Nurus Salam

The 16^th of December was indeed the Victory Day, the victory of the righteous over evil. It forever erased the disgrace of being ruled by others and revived the Bengali Pride among all Bengalis. “JAI BANGLA! Jai Bangla! – From the banks of the great Ganges and the broad Brahmaputra, from emerald rice fields and mustard- colored hills of the countryside, from the countless squares of countless villages came the cry.”  - This was the first line of the article titled- “Bangladesh: Out of War, a Nation is Born” published by the TIME MAGAZING dated 20^th December, 1971.


This was the victory of the Bengali spirit – a nation of Bengalis ruled by Bengalis. This joy was short-lived as revelation of the cold blooded “Killing of Bengali Intellectuals”– About 300 Bengali Intellectuals among which were several teachers, doctors, engineers, journalists, artists, poets, scientists and litterateur were captured by the traitor forces (i.e.  Al-ShamsAl-Badr ) & and were ruthlessly killed. The reason behind this cold blooded murder was that the traitors had known that Pakistan was being erased from the Bangla soil and Bangladesh was marking its place in the World Map with the status of a Free & Independent nation; they wanted to ensure that even if Bangladesh emerges as an independent nation- it should never be self-sustainable and remain undeveloped. On 1^4th of December large number of intellectuals were targeted by the Pakistani army with the help of the information provided by the Razakars, Al-Shams & Al-Badr. 

Photo Courtesy: A Walk Through My Life

Bangladesh, as a sovereign and independent nation was hard to digest for USA and CHINA- who were strong allies of Pakistan. Thus, USA and CHINA were among the last countries to recognize independent Bangladesh. This 16^th of December, Bangladesh will celebrate the 40^th Victory day and it feels miserable that till today the prominent war criminals (traitors) are not punished, instead some of the war criminals are leaders of mainstream political parties. These traitors should be punished and they should be strictly kept away from politics because their aim is to play with the minds of innocent people and continue their dirty-politics. Progress and Development is the need of the hour in Bangladesh.

Concluding this post with the first few lines of this beautiful song written by Dwijendra Lal Roy - dedicated to the glory and magnificence of Bangladesh:

"ধনধান্য পুষ্প ভরা আমাদের এই বসুন্ধরা

তাহার মাঝে আছে দেশ এক সকল দেশের সেরা

ও সে স্বপ্ন দিয়ে তৈরি সে যে স্মৃতি দিয়ে ঘেরা

এমন দেশটি কোথাও খুঁজে পাবে নাকো তুমি

সকল দেশের রাণী সে যে আমার জন্মভূমি

সে যে আমার জন্মভূমি, সে যে আমার জন্মভূমি।।"

 -দ্বিজেন্দ্রলাল রায়