Want to develop well-trained armed force: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government wants to develop a professional and well-trained armed force for Bangladesh to keep pace with the constantly-changing world.

“We’re well aware of what are needed for the country and when, and we’re taking measures accordingly. Because, we want to develop a professional and well-trained armed force,” she said, reports UNB.

The Prime Minister was addressing the graduation ceremony of the National Defence Course (NDC) and Armed Forces War Course (AFWC) 2019 of the National Defence College at Sheikh Hasina Complex in Mirpur Cantonment.

She said the government is taking forward the armed forces to make it stronger and more time-befitting one by formulating the Forces Goal-2030 in light of the defence policy adopted by the Father of the Nation. “We’ve been working for collecting modern military hardware and arranging trainings,” she said.

“The world is changing constantly. So, we’ll have to move keeping pace with the change. We’’ have to have such military hardware and take all sorts of training in this regard,” Sheikh Hasina added.

She said her government has been collecting the latest military hardware and arranging proper trainings for the Armed Forces personnel so that they can be familiar with modern war equipment used in UN peacekeeping missions and so that they do not hesitate to play their role under any circumstance alongside gathering experiences there.

The Prime Minister thanked the Armed Forces members for making contributions by standing by the people of the country during any natural disaster and accident.

She also urged them to come forward along with others to develop the country being imbued with patriotism.

Sheikh Hasina hoped that the NDC graduates, being inspired by the motto ‘Security through Knowledge’, will take the nation towards stability, self-reliance and sustainable development.

NDC Commandant Lt Gen Sheikh Mamun Khaled delivered the welcome speech.

A total of 85 officers from the armed forces, civil administration and foreign military forces successfully completed the NDC Course 2019 while 38 the AFWC-2019 at the NDC.

Of the 85 NDC graduates, there are military officers from 16 foreign countries, including China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the UK, Mali and Niger.

The Prime Minister distributed certificates among new graduates of the two courses.