Armed Forces Day is being celebrated on Tuesday (November 21) with due dignity and enthusiasm.
On the occasion of the day, the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Sahabuddin and Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the program of the day will begin with a special prayer at the mosques of all the cantonments, naval bases and air force bases of the country, seeking the welfare and prosperity of the country and the development of the armed forces.
According to the ISPR, the President and the Prime Minister will lay wreaths at the Dhaka Cantonment flame in tribute to the members of the armed forces who sacrificed their lives in the Great War of Independence in 1971. After that, Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Shaheen Iqbal and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Sheikh Abdul Hannan will lay wreaths on behalf of their respective forces.
The three army chiefs will pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at the Armed Forces Department and the President at the Banga Bhavan. On the occasion of ‘Armed Forces Day-2023’, the Prime Minister will felicitate the heirs of Vir Shrestha and a selected number of decorated freedom fighters and their heirs at the Army Multipurpose Complex in Dhaka Cantonment.
At this time, the Prime Minister will award 4 army, 2 navy and 2 air force members with peacetime posts for 2022-2023.
Minister of Liberation War Affairs Ministry, Prime Minister’s Security Adviser, Army Chief, Navy Chief, Air Force Chief, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of Armed Forces Department, Senior Secretary of Defense Ministry, Secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry and civilian and military officials will be present on the occasion.
On the occasion of celebrating the day, the Prime Minister will organize a reception on November 21 at 4 pm at Senakunj, Dhaka Cantonment. Among the notable invited guests in this reception are Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad, Chief Justice, former President, Leader of Opposition in Parliament, former Chief Adviser, Ministers and Minister-ranked persons, State Ministers and State-minister-ranked persons, Deputy Speaker, foreign ambassadors assigned to Bangladesh, international organizations. Chief, Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner, Justice, Secretary of the Cabinet Division, Principal Secretary, Member of Parliament (Dhaka area), former military officer, former Chief of Army Staff, 2023 sports, cultural, freedom award and Ekushe Medal awardees, journalists, political and Eminent persons, heirs of all heroes of the War of Independence, titled officers living in Dhaka area during the War of Independence and post-independence period/their successors, high-ranking civil officers and serving and retired officers of the three forces. The program will be telecast live on Bangladesh Television.
On the occasion of Armed Forces Day, the three Army Chiefs will accord similar felicitations to the decorated freedom fighters/their heirs of their respective forces. Apart from Dhaka, reception programs will be organized in Barisal, Cox’s Bazar, Bogra, Sylhet, Ghatail, Chittagong, Jessore, Rangpur and Khulna cantonments/ghati under the management of the respective area headquarters.
Meanwhile, various programs will be held in other army garrisons, naval ships and installations and air force bases outside Dhaka to observe the day with due dignity. Specially equipped Navy ships in Dhaka, Khulna, Chandpur, Barisal and Chittagong will be stationed/anchored at nearby docks for public viewing from 2 pm to sunset on November 21.
On Monday (November 20), highlighting the significance of the Armed Forces Day, Bangladesh Television will telecast the ‘Special Anirban’ program featuring the Armed Forces after the 8 pm Bangla news. Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the ‘Special Durbar’ program on Tuesday (November 21) at 7:30 PM.
The program ‘Vishda Anirban’ will be aired periodically on private TV channels later. On the occasion of the day, special crore papers will be published in Bengali and English national dailies on November 21.
