West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday congratulated the people of Bangladesh on the occasion of the 49th Independence Day of the country.

“Wishing all my brothers and sisters in Bangladesh a very happy Independence Day,” she wrote in both English with a similar message in Bengali.

Wishing all my brothers and sisters in Bangladesh a very happy Independence Day

বাংলাদেশের সকল ভাই ও বোনেদের জানাই স্বাধীনতা দিবসের শুভেচ্ছা

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 26, 2019

On the other hand United States capital city Washington DC declared Bangladesh’s 49th Independence Day as ‘Bangladesh Day’, the Daily Star reported.

The proclamation was made by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who also congratulated the people of the country on the occasion.

“I, the mayor of Washington DC, congratulate the ambassador and all the people of Bangladesh on this special occasion, and hereby declare March 26, 2019, as Bangladesh Day,” said the proclamation as shared by the Bangladeshi Embassy in the US.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had on March 26, 1971, declared East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), independent after Pakistani forces launched a crackdown on unarmed Bengalis on the midnight of March 25.

That declaration triggered the country’s War of Liberation which spiralled into the Indo-Pak War of 1971 ending with the formation of Bangladesh on 16 December that year.

Earlier today, Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar.

On the occasion, the President said that “collective initiative is necessary to implement the development ideas of the government and make the parliament meaningful”.

“The independence earned through supreme sacrifices of millions of people is the greatest achievement of the Bengali nation. To ensure that this achievement remains meaningful, all have to know the history of our great Liberation War and retain the spirit of independence. The spirit of the Liberation War has to be passed on to generation to generations,” Hasina said in her address to the nation.

Across the country and Bangladeshi missions abroad, the national anthem ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ was sung and the national flag hoisted atop government and private buildings.

The Daily Star reported that special prayers were offered at all mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship across the country.