Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said good sense should prevail among the arsonists as nothing can be gained by burning people.
“The arson violence has recently started again. How can a man burn another man? It is wrong,” she said.
The prime minister said this while addressing a reception accorded to the selected gallantry award-winning freedom fighters and their successors at the Army Multipurpose Complex in Dhaka Cantonment on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day 2023.
In the event, she also conferred the peacetime medals among 11 selected members of the armed forces --army, navy and air force-- for their outstanding services.
The PM said to achieve something, the power of the people is required and it needs to stay beside the people and work for the welfare of the people. “Nothing can be gained by harming the people or burning the people,” she said.
Turning to the progress of the country, Hasina said now Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing country, witnessing a significant change. It needs to continue this trend of development, she said.
She said her government’s development plans are not only urban-based one rather grassroots-centric. “We’ve successfully taken development to the villages,” she said.
The PM said her government has taken a massive step for employment generation as it is setting up 100 special economic zones throughout the country and imparting the youth with trainings on computers, ICT and other issues. We’re developing them as skilled manpower so that we can build ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041.
She said the population, government, economy and society would be smart in the Smart Bangladesh.
Noting that now Bangladesh has got recognition as a role model for development, Sheikh Hasina sought cooperation from all to advance further and build the country as a developed, prosperous and Sonar (golden) Bangladesh, keeping up this current momentum of development.
She highlighted various facilities her government has introduced for valiant freedom fighters.
The PM greeted the selected gallantry award-winning freedom fighters and their successors as well as the recipients of Peacetime Medal-2022.
In 2013-2014, the Peacetime Medal was introduced to recognize the outstanding contribution of the members of Armed Forces during the peace.
On this day during the War of Liberation in 1971, the Bangladesh Armed Forces, comprising army, navy and air force, came into being and launched an all-out attack on the Pakistani occupation forces which expedited the victory in the Liberation War.
After the independence of the country, this historic day is observed as the Armed Forces Day every year.