President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday praised members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for their role in protecting the country’s frontiers.
In separate messages, they greeted the members of the BGB on the eve of “Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Day-2014”.
The president, in his message, said the BGB, deployed along the country’s bordering areas, has a long historical background of more than 200 years. The force has set a laudable instance in protecting the border, he added.
Abdul Hamid said the parliament passed the Border Guard Bangladesh Act-2010, which came into force from December 20, 2010, to infuse new spirit into the members of BGB.
“The nation would recall with gratitude for ever all of those BGB members, including Bir Shreshtra Noor Mohammad Sheikh and Bir Shrestha Munshi Abdur Rouf, for their supreme sacrifice in the country’s Great War of Liberation,” Abdul Hamid said.
The president urged the BGB members to discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and patriotism for protecting the country’s bordering areas.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the members of BGB have been playing a laudable and exemplary role in protecting the country’s border along with assisting the civil administration.
She said her government has taken all measures to make the BGB a modern force. To this end, she said, the government enacted the Border Guard Bangladesh Act-2010, and approved a new organisational framework and manpower for making it an efficient force.
The government has already decentralised the BGB command structure under four regions in the country for bringing dynamism in its activities, said the prime minister.
Sheikh Hasina said her government also approved setting up four more sectors along with 15 battalions, and most of which have already been implemented.
The government has introduced different facilities, including 30 per cent frontier allowances, increasing ration, medical facilities and housing, for BGB personnel from the lowest post to Subedar major rank, she added.
Recalling BGB’s role in 1971, the prime minister said the 219-year-old force participated in the War of Liberation following the appeal of the greatest Bangalee of thousand years and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The BGB was also awarded two Birshreshtha awards for its significant role in the War of Liberation while 119 members got other awards.
The prime minister said 817 BGB members sacrificed their lives during the independence war and recalled with deep respect their supreme sacrifice.
Sheikh Hasina hoped that the BGB would discharge their duties with honesty and sincerity to keep the border areas safe and uphold the country’s image.