Govt working to make armed forces more modern, well-trained: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government has been working to make armed forces more modern, professionally skilled and well-trained to keep pace with the changing world.

"We have been working to make armed forces more modern, professionally skilled and well-trained in line with the Forces Goal-2030 by taking various measures such as collecting latest military hardware and arranging training courses as well," she said.

The prime minister was addressing the graduation ceremony of the National Defence Course-2019 and Armed Forces War Course-2019 at Sheikh Hasina Complex in Mirpur cantonment here.

Sheikh Hasina said "We are well aware of things what is necessary for developing the armed forces as strong and time-befitting one and taking crucial measures accordingly".

"We're progressing ahead to turn our armed forces into a more stronger and time-befitting one by formulating the Forces Goal-2030 in accordance with the Defence Policy of 1974 adopted by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she said.

Describing the world as ever-changing, the premier said that they (armed forces personnel) would have to move with the pace of the changes.

So, the government has also been working on collecting modern military hardware as well as more arrangement of trainings for armed forces personnel to make them efficient enough to cope with the changes of the world, she added.

Applauding the role of members of the Armed Forces in the United Nations peacekeeping mission, she said, "The latest military hardware and training will make the armed forces personnel familiar with the war weapons used in the UN missions which will help them play role without any hesitation in any circumstance alongside gathering experiences there."

The premier urged the NDC and AFWC graduates to work for ushering the nation toward stability, self-reliance and sustainable development, expressing her hope that being inspired by the motto 'Security through Knowledge', the graduates will take the nation forward.

Describing the foreign military officials, who did graduation from the NDC, as good-will ambassadors, the premier said, "After returning to the native countries, you will work as good-will ambassadors of Bangladesh from your respective positions."

Commandant of the NDC Lieutenant General Sheikh Mamun Khaled gave welcome address at the function.

The prime minister also handed over certificates among the NDC and AFWC graduates.

As many as 85 officers from the armed forces, civil administration and foreign military officers took part in the NDC Course 2019 while 38 officers from the armed forces in the Armed Forces War Course-2019.

The foreign military officers from 16 countries such as China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, Mali, and Niger of the Asia, Europe and America took part in the NDC course.