Special flag raising ceremonies have been held at all inhabited islands on occasion of the 55th Independence Day of the Maldives.

The event was held simultaneously at 6 a.m. this morning. The ceremony in the capital, Male’ City was carried out by officers of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) at the Republic Square. The ceremony was attended by the President, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

He was welcomed at the ceremony by the Defence Minister, Mariya Ahmed Didi and the Home Minister, Imran Abdulla.

Vice President, Faisal Naseem and the Speaker of the Parliament, former President, Mohamed Nasheed were in attendance at the ceremony along with other high-ranking officials of the government. The ceremony saw a special prayer led by the Imam of Masjid al-Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaan al-Auzam, Shiek Nasrulla Ali.

The flag raising ceremonies in the islands were held at the highest government offices of each respective islands.

On occasion of the 55th Independence Day, President Solih conveyed the days greeting to all Maldivian citizens. In his tweet this morning, President Solih said that he prays that Maldivians are joyous people free in all sense.

Maldivian Independence Day is celebrated on the day Maldives gained political freedom, on 26 July 1965.