Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the armed forces to remain alert all the time to face any situation.
“We want peace. But you have to remain alert all the time to face any situation and we have to enhance our capability to this end,” she said during a meeting with delegation of the National Defence College comprising commandant, faculties, staff members and participants of the NDC and War Course 2013 held at her office.
Hasina said having strong armed forces in a country like Bangladesh did not mean that it would engage in war. “The armed forces will be used for maintaining peace not merely in the country, but also across the world.”
In this connection, she mentioned the Bangladesh armed forces’ role in the UN Peacekeeping operations across the world.
The prime minister said despite financial constraints, the government had increased the budgetary allocation for the modernisation of the armed forces. “We increased the allocation so that our armed forces can compete with other armed forces of the world.”
She hoped that the armed forces would continue to maintain its high standard of efficiency and professionalism.
Mentioning that Bangladesh’s strategic geographic location was important in global politics, the premier said Bangladesh was playing a major role in promoting regional integration. Moreover, the country was also playing a key role in establishing peace at domestic, regional and international levels.
Hasina said Bangladesh’s domestic policies had proved to be effective in human development and economic empowerment of the people in general while the foreign policy had worked to create a most favourable environment for national development.
A total of 64 participants including 26 from China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Malaysia and Tanzania are taking part in the NDC and War Course 2013.
