Bangladesh is always ready to protect the sovereignty of the country

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh is always ready and determined to protect the country’s sovereignty from any foreign attack. He said, the main driving force of our foreign policy is ‘friendship with all, enmity with none’. Our goal is economic development of the country through peaceful coexistence with all the neighboring states. But we are always ready and determined to protect the sovereignty of the country from any aggressive foreign enemy. He said this in his speech after unveiling the inaugural plaque of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Battery Complex at Artillery Center and School in Halishahar, Chittagong yesterday. After inaugurating the Battery Complex, Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib visited the Artillery Museum in the complex. During this time, he saw the very realistic portrait of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman installed in the museum, the historic 3.7 inch howitzer that fired the first shot of the Mujib battery in the great liberation war, the ammunition used in the artillery regiment and replicas of all the cannons and the glorious history of the significant operations of the artillery forces in the great liberation war. Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed welcomed the Prime Minister when he arrived at the venue. An audio-visual documentary on Mujib Battery was screened at the event. Cabinet members, three army chiefs, members of parliament, dignitaries, senior military and civilian officers, officers of various ranks, JCOs, other ranks of army personnel and media persons were present on the occasion.

He expressed hope that the soldiers will work with patriotism, professionalism and devotion for the welfare of the country and people, inspired by the spirit of the liberation war. Sheikh Hasina also said that the Awami League government is working tirelessly to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and build a developed and prosperous Smart Bangladesh by 2041. For this, every member of Bangladesh Army should be information-technology-savvy-smart. The Prime Minister told the army members that they should continue to make every effort to uphold their glory through hard work, professional skills, devotion to duty and patriotism from steadfast trust and loyalty to the leadership. He briefly described the steps taken by his government for the overall development of the army. Sheikh Hasina said, in the continuation of modernization, the Bangladesh Army has added modern aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, fourth generation tanks, modern APCs, anti-tank missiles and other war equipment. The Prime Minister praised the overall activities of the army for the welfare of the country and said that today the Bangladesh Army is well established as a symbol of the nation’s trust. He said that the Bangladesh Army is also appreciated in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission due to its dedication and professionalism. To ensure the capability and security of our troops in the UN Mission, the latest Light Armored Vehicles and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles have recently been added. According to Wikipedia, Mujib Battery is Bangladesh’s first artillery unit or heavy weapons unit, called the First Field Regiment. Bangladesh Army’s first artillery unit was established in the Konaban region of India on July 22, 1971 in the Bangladesh Liberation War, which was named the Mujib Battery by Major Khaled Musharraf. This force was formed in Tripura with 80 Bengali members of the Golandaz Force who escaped from Pakistan in the first week of August during the Liberation War. It was under the K Force of the Liberation Army.