President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman have paid rich tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Memorial, on the outskirts of the capital, marking the 56th Independence and National Day.

The President and the Prime Minister placed the wreaths at the altar of the memorial at 6AM on Thursday.

After laying the wreaths, the President and the Premier stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971.

A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute at that time while the bugles played the last post.

The head of the state and the head of the government also signed the visitors’ book kept on the memorial premises.

Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, cabinet members, chiefs of the three services, senior BNP leaders, war-wounded freedom fighters, family members of martyrs, foreign diplomats, political leaders and high civil and military officials, among others, were present there.

Besides, flanked by cabinet members and BNP Standing Committee members, Tarique Rahman, also the chairman of the ruling BNP, placed two other wreaths at the National Memorial on behalf of the cabinet and his party.

On the occasion, special prayer was offered seeking forgiveness for the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War, 1990 Anti-autocracy Movement and 2024 July Uprising.

Special prayer was also offered seeking divine blessings for Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

The prayer also sought welfare for the country and success for the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Then the Prime Minister exchanged pleasantries with war-wounded freedom fighters, family members of martyrs and other guests present at the memorial.

Later, on behalf of Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikrom, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal; and Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury also paid homage to the martyrs by placing wreaths at the mausoleum.

Every year, March 26 brings the most tragic reminiscence of history’s blackest episode that heralded a nine-month bloody ordeal from the night of March 25, 1971, achieving the long-cherished independence on December 16 the same year at the cost of a sea of blood.