PM asks army to be alert against division
Says attack on independence can come from within too
Unb, Bogra
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has urged members of the armed forces to remain alert against any division, confusion and anarchy that can weaken the national unity and defence."In the present age, the concept of national defence has undergone a lot of change. Attack on national independence and sovereignty not only comes from outside the country, but also from within," she said while addressing a darbar of army at Bogra Cantonment yesterday. Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Moyeen U Ahmed and Area Commander Major General Manirul Islam received the prime minister on her arrival at the cantonment. The prime minister has expressed her firm belief that members of the armed forces will play an effective role in holding the forthcoming general elections in a free, fair and neutral manner, as they did in the past. "As per provision of the constitution, a caretaker government will take over on expiry of tenure of the coalition government in October and will arrange a free, and fair election in the country," she said. The prime minister assured members of the armed forces that the government would keep up the process of their modernisation in the future. She said the government is continuing the modernisation process of the armed forces. As part of the process, a substantial quantity of weapons and equipment have been procured while modern small arms and ammunition will also be imported soon to further enrich the armed forces' arsenal. The prime minister lauded various roles and activities of members of the armed forces apart from their professional duties. She said the armed forces played important role in curbing terrorism through "Operation Clean Heart" and also in improving law and order by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) that consists of police and members of the armed forces. She said members of the armed forces have been acclaimed everywhere in the world for successfully performing their duties in UN peacekeeping missions, Khaleda said, hoping that this reputation will increase in the future. The number of Bangladeshi peacekeepers now stands at 16,000, the highest in the world, she said, adding: "We will maintain this trend of sending troops to the UN peacekeeping missions in the future." Ministers, distinguished personalities and high civil and military officials were present at the function.
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