On Thursday, Bangladesh marks its 55th Independence Day. It was on this day in 1971 that the country's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, declared East Pakistan free of West Pakistan.
His declaration in the early hours of March 25th coincided with the Pakistani Army's crackdown on the people in an operation dubbed Searchlight.
On the first night itself, an estimated 300,000 people were shot dead, bayoneted or battered to death with rifle butts. Many were taken prisoner to be dealt with later. Women were taken away to be raped and killed.
It marked the start of a nine-month-long nightmare, which ended only after India intervened in December and, in over 14 days, completed the liberation and independence of Bangladesh, aided by the Mukti Bahini and many others.
Although current Prime Minister
'Let us all strive to honour the sacrifices of the martyrs by establishing in the state and society the spirit of the great Liberation War - equality, human dignity and social justice. Let us work together to build a just, developed, prosperous, self-reliant and democratic Bangladesh,' he said.
March 25th is dubbed Genocide Day in Bangladesh, generally marked with much fanfare by the former Awami League government. This time it was more subdued, reflecting not only a new government finding its feet, but the economic crisis caused by the Iran War.
The English edition of Prothom Alo noted the deteriorating condition of the victory memorial that has the names of 1,600 officers and men of the Indian Armed Forces who took part in the liberation of Bangladesh. Despite strains with India, the paper was hopeful that the memorial would be restored.