Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces to work as ‘frontline soldiers’ to implement the Perspective Plan 2041 to make Bangladesh a developed country.

“Work as frontline soldiers to implement the 2041 perspective plan being imbued with patriotism. I expect it from the members of our armed forces,” she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the graduation ceremony of the National Defence Course (NDC) and Armed Forces War Course (AFWC)-2021, joining it from her official residence Ganobhaban.

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The graduation ceremony was held at Sheikh Hasina Complex, DSCSC of Mirpur Cantonment.

Sheikh Hasina said the armed forces members are always ready for the supreme sacrifice in any crisis alongside protecting the country’s sovereignty.

She said they participated in various activities as frontline fighters in facing the Covid-19 pandemic and earned praise for their works. “They’ve been working sincerely in the infrastructural and socioeconomic development of the country apart from facing the disasters,” the Prime Minister said.

A total of 88 trainees, including 27 foreign military members, participated in the NDC 2021 and 55 in the AFWC 2021.

So far, 383 members of the Armed Forces from 24 friendly countries have received higher education and training at the NDC.

The chiefs of the three services and the NDC commandant and its faculties were present at the event.

The Prime Minister said the armed forces members have brightened the image of Bangladesh abroad by demonstrating their competence and sincerity in facing the challenges of the UN peacekeeping missions and establishing peace. Bangladesh has been able to uphold the dignity of the highest peacekeepers sending-country to the UN missions, she said.

Hasina said her government took a ‘zero-tolerance policy’ against terrorism and violent extremism.

Noting that her government’s goal is to take the country forward so that its armed forces can go ahead keeping pace with the world, the Prime Minister said the armed forces members work together with their counterparts from other countries in the UN peacekeeping missions.

“So, it’s my expectation that our armed forces will receive training and acquire knowledge about all kinds of the latest technologies and war weapons and equipment so that we don’t fall behind from others,” she said.

Hasina highlighted different activities taken by her government from 1996-2001 and 2009-2021 periods for the development of the country’s armed forces.

Coming to power in 2009, her government designed the Forces Goal 2030 in line with the Defence Policy 1974 formulated by the Father of the Nation. And now the government has been implementing the goal, she said.

Mentioning that Bangladesh will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Independence in 2071, Hasina said the country should be taken forward keeping that view in mind.

“Bangladesh won’t step back anymore; we’ll move forward to build a hunger- and poverty-free developed and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation. We all will build it with our collective efforts,” she said.     

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Hasina said the United Nations has recently adopted a resolution declaring Bangladesh as a developing country. “We’ll take the country forward further as a developing country,” she added.

The Prime Minister said the implementation works of all the mega projects are going on even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangladesh will be able to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs) within the stipulated time of 2030 and Bangladesh will be turned into a developed country by 2041, she said.

“Everyone, even at the grassroots level, will have the opportunity to live a decent life. This is our goal,” Hasina reassured all.

The Prime Minister virtually conferred certificates upon the fresh graduates of the two courses, and congratulated the participants of NDC and AFWC on successful completion of year-long courses and wished them a great success and prosperous life.