ZCZC
BSS-37
PM-DEFENCE-3-LAST DHAKA
The prime minister said the armed forces members’ have brightened the country’s image abroad further by performing their duties with utmost sincerity, efficiency and dedication in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions.
On the 75th anniversary of the world body (UN), Sheikh Hasina said this year Bangladesh is once again proud to be the world’s leading troops-contributing state in the UN peacekeeping missions.
The prime minister prayed for eternal peace of the souls of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives for establishing world peace.
Sheikh Hasina called upon the armed forces members’ to remain always ready to safeguard the independence and sovereignty of the country, citing its (Bangladesh) faith in coexistence with all in the line with the foreign policy pursued by the Father of the Nation during his time.
Noting the Bangladesh’s foreign policy –‘friendship to all, malice to none’ adopted by Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina said, “We believe in peaceful coexistence with all neighboring states.”
“However, we are always ready and firmly determined to protect country’s sovereignty from any aggressive attack,” she added.
Mentioning that the Awami League government was the first to appoint women members in the armed forces, Sheikh Hasina said five female members in the army were promoted to lieutenant colonel and are working in the frontline units as commanders.
She said Bangladesh Army’s Brigadier General Nurunnahar Fatema Begum was for the first time been awarded “the Independence Medal-2019”, the highest state medal of the government of Bangladesh, for her outstanding contribution to the field of medicine.
The prime minister mentioned different development initiatives undertaken by the government to improve the living standard of the armed forces members.
These includ army housing project, supply of high quality logistics and construction of multi-storey government family houses and increasing allowances by 50 percent for the family members of the martyred, dead or retired army personnel.
Outlining the country’s socioeconomic development by keeping the country’s economy afloat during the corona period, she said many developed and emerging economies are facing negative growth due to the coronavirus epidemic, but Bangladesh’s GDP growth increased by 5.24 percent at that time.
She pointed out that the foreign exchange reserves exceeded US Dollar 41 billion, while country’s remittance, agricultural production and export trade have rebounded.
“In the prevailing situation, we’ve to maintain our economic activities by complying the health rules properly,” she added.
BSS/ASG/SIR/SH/2125 HRS