Victory Day is a national holiday

National holiday

National holiday may refer to:*A National Day, in which a country celebrates its independence, establishment or an otherwise significant event....

 in Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

 celebrated on December 16.
On this day in 1971, the Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

i Army surrendered to the Indo-Bangladeshi High Command in Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...

, ending the 9 month-long Bangladesh Liberation War

Bangladesh Liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....

 and 1971 Bangladesh atrocities

1971 Bangladesh atrocities

Beginning with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and continuing throughout the Bangladesh Liberation War, there were widespread violations of human rights in East Pakistan perpetrated by the Pakistan Army, with support from local political and religious militias, especially...

. General AAK Niazi

A. A. K. Niazi

Lieutenant-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi HJ, MC,; c. 1915 - 2 February 2004), was a former three-star general in the Pakistan Army who was the last unified commander of Pakistan Armed Forces's Eastern Military High Command in East-Pakistan...

, the Commanding officer

Commanding officer

The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...

 of the Pakistani Armed Forces

Pakistan Army

The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...

 located in East Pakistan, surrendered his forces to Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora

Jagjit Singh Aurora

Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...

, the Allied forces commander.

India also commemorates victory over Pakistan on the same day in 1971 on Vijay Diwas

Vijay Diwas (India)

Vijay Diwas is commemorated every 16 December in India as it marks the decisive military victory over Arch-rival Pakistan achieved on 16 December, 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The end of the war also resulted in the secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh...

.

Events commemorating Victory day

• 1971: State Bank of Pakistan became Bangladesh Bank.
• 1972: The constitution
  Constitution of Bangladesh
  The Constitution of Bangladesh is the supreme law of Bangladesh. It declares Bangladesh as a secular democratic republic where sovereignty belongs to the people; and lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles of the state and spells out the fundamental rights of citizens...
  
   of the People's Republic of Bangladesh was enacted on 16 December.
• 1973: Gallantry awards of war were declared by Bangladesh Gazzett on 15 December.
• 1996: Silver jubilee of victory was celebrated.
• 2007: The remains of Bir Sreshtho
  Bir Sreshtho
  The Bir Sreshtho is the highest military award of Bangladesh. It was awarded to seven freedom fighters who showed utmost bravery and died in action for their nation. They are considered martyrs....
  
   Matiur Rahman
  Matiur Rahman (military pilot)
  Matiur Rahman or M. Matiur Rahman was a Flight Lieutenant in the Pakistan Air Force when the Liberation War broke out. His date of birth is sometimes given as 29 November 1941....
  
  were brought back to Bangladesh on 10 December.