The University of Dhaka, the epicentre of youthful celebrations in Dhaka, came out in its colourful best on the occasion of the 41st Victory Day of Bangladesh. From the early hours of Sunday, thousands gathered at various points of the campus to observe the activities. However, the celebrations by various cultural and student organisations began the day before, at the Teachers-Students Centre. Socio-cultural organisations at the TSC, including Dhaka University Film Society, Dhaka University Tourist Society, Dhaka University Photographic Society, Dhaka University Information Technology Society, Slogan Ekattor, Probhat Feri, along with Shangskritik Union, carried out the programmes.
The Dhaka University Film Society made an installation art on the Victory Theme at the TSC in the afternoon, while a joint cultural programme of the clubs was also held from the afternoon till after midnight. The Debating Society also carried out a friendly debate in the afternoon on the Liberation War.
Dhaka University Tourist Society lit up clay lamps at a makeshift national memorial in the evening, while the film society released 41 fanush in the air in the first minutes of Victory Day, aside from a clay lamp art, drawing 41 at the TSC field in the evening, to symbolise the number of years since 1971. Fireworks displays were also carried out after midnight.
Victory Day's programmes began with a rally carried out by Sammilito Shangskritik Jote from the Shahid Minar in the morning that marched through the campus to end at Shamsunnahar Hall. Slogan Ekattor, a cultural organisation of TSC, also held an event to throw darts at the caricatures of razakars and other war criminals, and later joined hands in making a clay map of Bangladesh later in the day.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka University Cycling Club brought out a cycling rally on the campus in the afternoon, while the Film Society organised an open screening of feature films and documentaries on the Liberation War, at TSC in the evening.
Besides Dhaka University students, youth from all over the capital were present at the campus on the day to be part of the festivities. One of them, Raiyeem Farhan, said the DU campus symbolises the youth, energy and patriotism that was the major force in the struggle for freedom, and therefore is the perfect place to be on this day. Saurav Dey, a student of the university's English department, said many movements for the country's independence began from this campus, and the majority of students still hold that spirit in them against all injustice and oppression. Farhana Chowdhury, a student of the Faculty of Fine Arts, expressed hopes that the spirit of liberation and patriotism remain in citizens throughout the year, not only on special occasions.