DU celebrates Victory Day

Dhaka University yesterday celebrated the 47th Victory Day amid much festivity and paying tributes to the war heroes.

The Dhaka University authorities and some Teacher-Student Center (TSC) based socio-cultural organisations held different programmes marking the day.

The celebration started with setting off firecrackers at the base of Raju memorial sculpture at TSC intersection around 12:05am yesterday.

Slogan 71, a TSC based student organisation, organised the dazzling fireworks in front of the sculpture like previous years.

Hundreds of students thronged the place tying the national flag on their heads or hands or wearing dresses combining the colours of the flag -- green and red.

The TSC area was then abuzz with music as a number of university based bands including “Gaanpoka” and “Gaankobi” took the stage one by one. Patriotic songs as well as their own compositions enchanted the crowd.

Around 12:30am, Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS) released 43 fanush (paper lanterns) illuminating the night sky while the crowd was chanting “Joy Bangla”.

In the morning, teachers and students of DU led by Vice Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman placed wreaths at the National Memorial at Saver. The VC led a “Bijoy Rally” which was brought out by Dhaka University Cycling Club (DUCC) in the morning.

Like previous years, Dhaka University Journalists' Association (Duja) organised a daylong exhibition of the then newspaper articles on the 1971 war, titled "Bijoyer Pothe, Songbadpotrer Sathe" (on the way to victory, along with newspapers), at TSC.

In the afternoon, the VC inaugurated a “Pillar of Hatred” in front of Ducsu Building at the campus which was rebuilt by a group of DU students. The concrete pillar, a symbol reminding the nation of Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams which collaborated with the Pakistani Army in 1971, was broken three times in 2008, 2010 and 2013 by some unknown miscreants.

To mark the day, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, an alliance of cultural organisations, organised a cultural event at Central Shaheed Minar in the afternoon.