Armed Forces Day to be celebrated on 21 Nov amid festivity, enthusiasm

The Armed Forces Day will be celebrated through various programmes on Firday (21 November) amid festivity and enthusiasm, marking the establishment of army, navy and air force during the 1971 Liberation War.

The day's programmes will begin with offering of special prayers after Fajr prayers at all mosques in all the cantonments and naval and air force bases throughout the country on the day, seeking divine blessings for the well-being and prosperity of the nation and progress of the armed forces.

On the occasion, President Mohammed Shahabuddin, also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Division (AFD), and Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus issued separate messages, said a release of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate this evening.

On the eve of the day, the President and the Chief Adviser will place wreaths at the Shikha Anirban (the Eternal Flame) at Dhaka Cantonment on Friday morning, paying homage to the members of the martyred armed forces' who made their supreme sacrifices in the War of Liberation in 1971.

Subsequently, the Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hasan and Chief of the Air Force Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan will also lay wreaths there, on behalf of their respective forces. 

The three chiefs of the three services will also pay courtesy call on the Chief Adviser at the Department of Armed Forces Division and later the President of the Republic at the Bangabhaban on the day.

On the occasion of 'Armed Forces Day-2025', the Chief Adviser will accord a reception to family members of Bir Shreshthas and selected gallantry award winning 1971 veterans and their family members at the Army Multipurpose Complex in the Dhaka Cantonment.

At this time, the Chief Adviser (CA) will distribute greeting cards and exchange greetings with the 101 selected gallantry award winning freedom fighters and their heirs, the ISPR mentioned.

Liberation War Affairs Adviser, the CA's Special Assistant (Defense and National Integration), CA's Special Assistant (National and Security Adviser and High Representative on Rohingya Issues), Chiefs of three services, Principal Secretary of the CA Office, AFD's Principal Staff Officer (PSO), Defense Ministry Secretary, Liberation War Affairs Secretary, and high-ranking civil and military officers will be present at the event.

To mark the day, the chief adviser will host a reception at Senakunj, Dhaka Cantonment, at 4pm on 21 November 2025, the ISPR said.

Notable invited guests at this reception include the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, former Presidents, former Chief Advisers, Advisers and Adviser-level individuals, foreign diplomats, heads of international organisations, judges, Cabinet Division Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, former Chiefs of the three services, former military officers, heirs of all the Liberation War heroes and post-independence period, heirs of the martyred soldiers of the Bangladesh Army in the barbaric massacre that took place at the BDR (now BGB) headquarters on February 25, 2009 mutiny, recipients of the Independence Award and Ekushey Padak, journalists, academicians, politicians and prominent figures, coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, students and public in the July-August mass uprising, injured persons, high-ranking civil officials and serving and retired officers of the three services.

Besides, reception programme will be organised at Barisal, Cox's Bazar, Bougra, Sylhet, Ghatail, Chattogram, Jashore, Rangpur and Khulna cantonments and bases under the management of the respective area's headquarters.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the day with due dignity, various programmes will also be held at other army garrisons, naval ships and installations and air force bases of the country outside Dhaka. Specially equipped naval ships in Dhaka, Khulna, Chandpur, Barisal and Chittagong will be kept at the nearby ghats/anchored for the public from 2pm till sunset on 21 November.

The Bangladesh Television (BTV) will broadcast the programme live on the day.

Besides, highlighting the significance of Armed Forces Day on 20 November, the BTV will broadcast the 'Special Anirban' programme presented by the Armed Forces after the 8 pm Bangla news.

The Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the 'Special Durbar' programme on  21 November (Friday) at 7:30pm. The 'Special Anirban' programme will be broadcast on private TV channels in phases later. 

On the day, special bulletins will be published in different daily Bengali and English vernaculars while essay and painting competitions will be organised in educational institutions under the auspices of the AFD.