DHAKA: President Abdul Hamid took the salute and inspected the Victory Day parade led by Bangladesh Army at National Parade Ground on Wednesday.

The colorful parade is underway in participation of freedom fighters, members of armed forces and other law enforcing agencies.

As a special guest, Prime minister Sheikh Hasina also is witnessing the colorful parade from the VIP enclosure.

Many residents of the capital thronged the National Parade Ground to witness the Victory Day parade.

Earlier, the premier, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque MP and chiefs of three forces welcomed the President at the parade ground.

On December 16 in 1971, the country achieved its independence to emerge as Bangladesh after the nine-month armed struggle for national independence.

On this day, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Aabdullah Khan Niazi along with 93,000 troops, surrendered following a miserable defeat before the joint forces of Mukti and Mitra Bahini, led by General Jagjit Singh Aurora of India, at the then Ramna Race Course in Dhaka.

BDST: 1118 HRS, DEC 16, 2015
RS