Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel to remain alert so that incidents like the 2009 BDR mutiny does not occur in the future.
“The BGB has turned into a dynamic and modern force with the sincere efforts of all. Through your hard labour, the reputation and dignity of this force have been restored… you must stay alert so that such suicidal incidents cannot take place in the future,” she said while addressing the formal parade of BGB Day 2015 held at the BGB Headquarters in the capital’s Pilkhana area, reported UNB.
Terming the mutiny and killings at Peelkhana on February 25-26, 2009 as a black chapter of the force, Hasina said she had to face the heinous and unstable situation like the mutiny and killings soon after assuming office and tackled it with the united efforts of the BGB members.
Mentioning that the BGB is now fully free from its stigma following the trial of its unruly and misleading personnel involved with the mutiny, she asked the BGB personnel to perform their duties with utmost honesty and patriotism and thus gain the confidence and trust of people.
The prime minister said the BGB has a long tradition of 220 years and its members have achieved bigger success in recent years in border areas with significant reduction in goods and drug smuggling, women and children trafficking and other border crimes.
Border killings have come down with the strengthening of friendship between the BGB with the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in recent years, she noted.
Earlier, the prime minister inspected the parade riding an open jeep and took salute at the Bir Uttam Anwar Hossain Parade Ground at the BGB Headquarters with BGB Deputy Director General Akhter Hamid Khan as the parade commander.
She also distributed gallantry medals to some 56 BGB members for their bravery and outstanding contributions to various BGB activities, as well as Border Guard Bangladesh Medal to 10 BGB members, President Border Guard Medal to 20 BGB members, Border Guard Bangladesh Medal Services to 10 BGB personnel, and President Border Guard Medal Services to 20 BGB personnel.
Highlighting various steps of her government for modernising BGB, she said the Border Security Bureau has been set up for strengthening the force’s intelligence agency, four new sectors and four regional intelligence bureau have been set up, some 13 battalions have already been set up out of the newly approved 15 battalions while the remaining two battalions will be in place in the next fiscal year.
Hasina said some 100 female soldiers have been recruited to the BGB this year for the first time, while work for creating its own air wing is in full swing to increase the operational capacity of the force.
Later, the prime minister formally inaugurated three 50-bed Border Guard Hospitals in Chuadanga, Thakurgaon and Khagrachhari and unveiled the logo of Simanto Bank.