Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked BGB personnel to continue performing their responsibilities with utmost sincerity, including protecting the borders; combating smuggling, drug trade, human trafficking, inter-border crimes; and providing security to the lives and property of the people living in the bordering areas. She also extended her thanks to the BGB members as they have been fulfilling their responsibilities with competence. The premier was addressing the parade of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Day-2022 at its headquarters in Dhaka. Read more: Nation never wants a repeat of Feb 2009 tragedy: PM to BGB personnel The PM said the border guards played a responsible role during the peaceful exchange of enclaves between Bangladesh and India. “We set an example for the world by exchanging enclaves amid a festive atmosphere,” she said. During the Rohingya influx into Bangladesh, BGB also carried out their responsibilities with efficiency, including the registration of the displaced people, she added. Focusing on the modernisation of BGB during her regime, Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League government has carried out massive development works and enacted a new law in order to enhance the capacity of the force under the BGB reform initiative. “BGB got the organizational shape of an efficient, strong, modern three-dimensional force,” she said, adding that now BGB is capable of performing its duty on land, water and air. The PM said her government has adopted the 'Border Guard Bangladesh Vision-2041' in a bid to develop the BGB as a world-class border guard force. Read more: Boost food production to avert any crisis: PM Hasina The 'Smart Digital Surveillance and Tactical Border Response System' has been installed at vulnerable border areas for seamless surveillance and countering trans-border terrorism, she said. Thanks to addition of the advanced and up-to-date weapons and equipment to the BGB, its operational capacity and competence has been enhanced, she noted. The PM said the present government has taken a plan to construct a total of 1,036 km of border roads with an aim of increasing the security of the hilly border areas and uplifting the socio-economic condition of the people living in the remote areas. The construction of 317 km border road in the first phase is in progress, she informed. The premier thanked the BGB for removing the words “Pak” or “Pakistan” from 14,005 border pillars on Bangladesh-India border and writing “Bangladesh” or “BD” in their places.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked the Border Guard Bangladesh to restrict smuggling apart from protecting the country's independence and sovereignty.