Bangladesh marks Victory day Bangladeshis took part in a ceremony on Monday to celebrate Victory day, which marks the official secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh. Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan after a bitter nine-month war in 1971 led by the country's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which is celebrated every year on December 16. Bangladesh is currently suffering from a wave of deadly violence that has left at 30 people dead as Islamist supporters vent their fury at the execution of an Islamist leader last Thursday. Images.