Despite several bomb incidents the previous night, the people of Dacca thronged into the streets on Sunday (December 16) to celebrate the second anniversary of Bangladesh independence. The second National Day was marked by a parade of troops and by floats carrying symbolic representations of development projects.

While President Abu Sayeed Choudhury, accompanied by Prime Minister Mujibur Rahman, took the salute at the parade, 21,000 people detained on charges of collaborating with the Pakistani Army were freed from prison.

SYNOPSIS: The Architect of Bangladesh independence, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, arrived by motorcade to lead the nation in celebrating Victory Day last weekend. It was the second anniversary of the ending of the war that secured Bangladesh its independence from Pakistani rule.

President Abu Sayeed Choudhury took the salute as contingents of the defence forces marched past -- men of the Army, Navy and Air Force ware followed by small mechanised units, while Soviet-built MIG Twenty-Ones and a flight of helicopters passed overhead. Victory day also brought release for the defeated -- twenty-one thousand people detained for collaborating with the Pakistanis were allowed out of prison.

A long column of lorries winding through Dacca carried symbolic representations of development projects in Bangladesh. Big crowds had turned out in Dacca to witness the parade, despite several bomb incidents the previous night. One explosion damaged a railway line, injuring one person and halting train services. Other bombs exploded near the Indian Airlines and newspaper offices. Police said they were set off by extremists protesting against the National Day celebrations.