Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the members of the Bangladesh Army to remain always ready to make the highest sacrifice to protect the interests of the nation.

“I believe the Bangladesh Army will remain ever ready for the highest sacrifice in any national need alongside protecting the country’s sovereignty,” she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing a function of the Bangladesh Army virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

The function was arranged to give the national standard (national flag) to 10 units and hand over the new flag to Mujib Regiment and Rowshan Ara Regiment of the Bangladesh Army at the Artillery Centre and School at Halishahar Cantonment in Chattogram.

Hasina said the Bangladesh Army has been playing a significant role in building the nation with their works in facing natural and manmade disasters as well as socio-economic and infrastructural development alongside protecting the country’s sovereignty.

She mentioned their important role in the development of the country’s communication system and facing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hasina said the members of Bangladesh Army brought honour and dignity for Bangladesh by demonstrating their outstanding dedication, dutifulness and professionalism in the establishment of global peace and different foreign missions, which undoubtedly have brightened the image of the country in the world arena.

On behalf of the Prime Minister, Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed handed over the national standards to the respective commanders of 4, 12 and 20 field regiments artillery, 5 Air Defence Artillery, Riverine Engineering Battalion, 1 and 2 Signal Battalions, Army Aviation group and NCO Academy as well as reintroduced the flag to the commanders of the Mujib Regiment and Rowshan Ara Regiment Artillery.

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The Prime Minister said the human and compassionate approach of the Army members while discharging their duty everywhere, including in foreign countries, impress the common people,’ she said.

Talking about her government’s activities for the modernization of the Armed Forces, she said, “Our armed forces have been strengthened and achieved enough progress in the last 13 years.”

The forces have particularly been making a special contribution towards curbing militancy and terrorism, the Prime Minister said.

She said her government that was formed in 1996 established the National Defence College and Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) to make the army a time-befitting force and improve its training quality.

Coming to power in 2009, her government formulated the Forces Goal-2030 and the Defence Policy 2018 in line with the Defence Policy 1974 framed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she mentioned.

The Prime Minister congratulated the members of the units which were conferred upon the national flag and asked them to uphold the dignity of the flag.

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She said Bangladesh is marching forward defying hundreds of adversities as her government’s goal is to build a hunger- and poverty-free developed and prosperous Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation.

“Bangladesh will continue to march forward with the spirit of the great Liberation War. We’ll move ahead keeping our heads high on the world stage,” she added.

At the event, the Prime Minister virtually witnessed a smartly turned-out parade of the members of the units.