Bangladesh on Saturday celebrated the anniversary of the end of its bloody nine-month 1971 war of independence from Pakistan with a show of military might.
Bangladeshi President Shahabuddin Ahmed, also commander in chief of the armed forces, was flanked by army chiefs as he reviewed troops at the National Parade Square in the capital Dhaka.
The parade was also watched by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, who holds the defence portfolio, as well as diplomats, ministers, senior officials, veterans and relatives of the war dead.
The parade was led by Major General Mohammad Masudur Rahman, a decorated war veteran.
Air Force jets, including Russian-made MiG 29s, staged a fly past as Bangladesh displayed Chinese-made tanks and other mechanized columns.
Three million Bangladeshis are estimated to have died in the war, which was marked by massacres of civilians in the former East Pakistan.
In a statement to mark the anniversary, Ahmed called for unity on issues of national importance in remarks aimed at the opposition's long-drawn out anti-government campaign.
"Democratic government has been established," he said
"The prime need of the hour now is to forge unity on important national issues and create a favorable social atmosphere ensuring uninterrupted peace and development for the welfare of the people." -- DHAKA (AFP)
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