Even after three decades of gaining sovereignty, people in Bangladesh are longing for an exploitation-free just society. Against the backdrop, a grateful nation will pay homage to three million martyrs who sacrificed their lives to earn the much-cherished freedom on December 16, 1971.

People will also take a fresh vow on this day to build a prosperous Bangladesh free from the curse of hunger, disparity and exploitation as dreamt by the martyrs.

Today is a public holiday. National flag will be hoisted atop all government, semi-government and important establishments. The day will be heralded by a 31-gun salute at dawn.

Tributes will be paid to the Liberation War heroes by placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar in the morning today.

President Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and opposition leader Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages on the occasion.

The president in his message extended his deep respects to the martyrs of the liberation war and freedom fighters and congratulated and greeted the countrymen and Bangladeshis living abroad.

He called upon all to make a coordinated effort to achieve a self-reliant economy, alleviate poverty and eradicate illiteracy.

The prime minister made a call for all to join in a new struggle for building 'a crime and corruption-free, happy and prosperous society' with the same patriotic zeal with which the nation won the victory in the liberation war.

Sheikh Hasina was critical of the government in her Victory Day message. She said, " ...the BNP-Jamaat coalition government has come to power through implementation of a blueprint in connivance with the killers of '71 and '75."

On December 16, 1971, chief of 93,000-men strong Pakistani occupation forces General AK Niazi surrendered to a Bangladesh-India joint command at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka following its defeat to the Bengali Mukti Bahini (guerilla forces) in the nine-month war.

The Pakistani army earlier on March 26 indulged in the cruellest carnage committed in the annals of human civilisation by killing at will the freedom-loving unarmed Bengali people in the then East Pakistan.

On the occasion of the Victory Day, special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship seeking divine blessings for peace and progress of the country. Improved diets will be served at hospitals, jails, orphanages, child homes and vagrant centres. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar will air special programmes and newspapers will bring out special supplements highlighting the significance of the day.

Ruling BNP has planned to celebrate the Victory Day with hoisting of national and party flags at the party offices across the country, placing of wreaths at Savar National Mausoleum and offering wreaths at the graveyard of late president Ziaur Rahman in the morning.

In observance of the day today, Awami League (AL) will hoist national and party flags atop all party offices across the country at 6:30am.

It will lay wreaths at Savar National Mausoleum at 7:45am and at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Bhaban at 7:00 am. AL front organisations drew up similar programmes.

The AL will bring out a 'victory procession' from its central office at Bangabandhu Avenue at 2:00pm and hold a programme of gono sangeet (songs for the masses) in front of Bangabandhu memorial museum at 6pm at road No 32, Dhanmondi.

Jatiya Party (Earshad), Jatiya Party (Manju), Communist Party of Bangladesh, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Bangladesh National Awami Party, Samajtantrik Dal of Bangladesh, Jatiya Janata Party, will place wreaths separately at the National Mausoleum in Savar and have chalked out separate programmes to mark the day.

Fifty armed forces officers and personnel have been awarded honorary commission and promoted on the occasion of the Victory Day. Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force have jointly organised an eight-day long military hardware display at the southern end of the old airport at Tejgaon. The display begins today and will remain open for general public from 9am to 5pm until December 22.