26th march, 1971 Bangladesh independentce day

In 1947, after the departure of the British Empire, the region of Bengal was divided along religious lines. As a result, the western part went to newly created Indian state while the Eastern region joined the Pakistan province and was later renamed East Pakistan. In 1952, the Bengali Language Movement became the first sign of resistance between the two regions of Pakistan following economic and cultural issues. During this period, Awami League appeared as the sole political voice of the Bengali-speaking community and later in 1960s, demanded autonomy. A massive cyclone in 1970 caused huge devastation in the region where half a million people were killed, without any response from the government. There was anger amongst the people which was further intensified when Awami League won the Parliamentary elections and was hindered from taking office. Later on, a sustained military assault was conducted on East Pakistan and Mujibur Rehman declared the independence of Bangladesh on 26th March 1971. 

The occasion is associated with parades, speeches by political leaders, concerts, fairs, ceremonies, activities in schools and colleges and other private events celebrating the traditions of the country. TV and radio are flooded with patriotic songs and special programs in the honor of the day. Normally, a 31-gun salute is held in the morning and the streets are adorned with national flags. Besides these, political parties mark the day in an apt manner by paying homage at Jatiyo Smriti Soudho, the national memorial situated in Dhaka.

The country's highest state award, the Independence Award is bestowed upon Bangladeshi citizens or organizations on the eve of the Independence Day by the government, for exemplary performance in various fields such as education, literature, journalism, public service, science/technology etc.

The Government is a Unitary Parliamentary Republic and Jatiyo Sangshad forms the Legislature of the country. Bengali is the official language of the country but English is used frequently besides some other indigenous languages. Islam is the major religion of the country, as Muslims from about 90% of the population. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture and the manufacturing of textiles.