Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the armed forces to remain ever prepared to thwart any threat to the country’s Independence and sovereignty.

“We have to remain prepared. If enemy from outside attacks us we must resist that in a befitting manner,” she said while inaugurating the Sheikh Russell Cantonment at Jazeera in Shariatpur.

She joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

The prime minister said Bangladesh believes in 'friendship to all, malice to none', the foreign policy formulated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“We do not want to fight with anyone. We will not engage in war, but we have to remain prepared,” she said.

In this connection, she said the government has taken steps to upgrade the armed forces through training and more resources.

Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed also spoke at the programme.

 Hasina listed the measures the Awami League government had taken after coming to power in 1996 for the first time in 21 years.

The government, she said, adopted the development and modernization plan of the Armed Forces and established National Defence College and Military Institute of Science and Technology in 1998 while Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training and Armed Forces Medical College in 1999.

Besides, she said that the then AL government first recruited female officers in Army, Navy and Air Force in 2000.

The PM said that after winning consecutive elections since 2008 the government has been implementing short, medium and long term plans to build a trained and up-to-date armed forces.

For this “Forces Goal-2030”has been launched on the basis of National Defence Policy-1974 formulated by Bangabandhu, she said.

In addition, she said, the government established Bangladesh Peace Building Center in 2016 and formulated ‘National Defence Policy, 2018.

She extended her gratitude to the Chief of Army Staff and members of Army for naming Mawa and Jazeera cantonments as “Sheikh Russell Cantonment”.

In this connection she said that her younger brother Russell had aspired to be an army officer.

Regarding the Padma Bridge, Hasina said she had laid the foundation stone of the bridge in 2001.  

She regretted that after coming to power the then BNP government stopped the work as it wanted to shift the bridge from here.

“Again assuming office, we moved fast to take steps to build the Padma Bridge but the World Bank stepped aside from funding it on pretext of false corruption allegations.”

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But, she said that the World Bank had failed to prove the allegation when it was challenged and a Canadian Court also didn’t find any corruption in it.

“In this context, I decided to give a strong response to them and construct the bridge with own financing . . . today we’ve constructed the Padma Bridge.”

She said that the 99 Composite Brigade and the Cantonment has been established to ensure the security of the Padma Bridge.

At the ceremony, the prime minister also received a state salute from a smartly tuned contingent of 99 Composite Brigade.

General Officer Commanding of 9th Infantry Division and Commander of Savar Area Major General Shaheenul Haque presented a brief description of Sheikh Russell Cantonment.

An audio-visual documentary on Sheikh Russell Cantonment was also screened.