Maldives Marks 61st Independence Day with Military Parade and Fireworks

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed attended the official celebrations marking the Maldives’ 61st Independence Day at Republic Square yesterday evening.

The guest of honour at the ceremony was His Royal Highness Prince Dr Mansour bin Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Minister of State and Cabinet Member of Saudi Arabia. He attended the ceremony on behalf of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The celebrations began with a presidential salute and a 21-gun salute, followed by a ceremonial march-past by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and Maldives National Cadet Corps (MNCC) contingents representing 15 schools.

The MNDF also held a military parade, with six contingents and the MNDF band taking part. The parade showcased personnel and corps from various MNDF services and concluded at Kalhuthukkalaa Koshi after stopping at four locations in Malé.

The military parade began after parade commander Colonel Mohamed Nazim reported to President Muizzu, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to commence the proceedings.

The programme also featured performances by students from Shaheed Ali School, Rehendhi School and Iskandhar School, alongside displays by the MNDF and the Heyvalla Cultural Troupe. The celebrations concluded with a fireworks display.

Among those attending were Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Chief Justice Uz Abdul Ghanee Mohamed, Bangladesh’s High Representative to the Chief Adviser on the Rohingya Crisis and Priority Issues Dr Khalilur Rahman, Cabinet ministers, MPs, state dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps.