Bangladesh Army
Army chief Gen Shafiuddin leaves for 2-day UAE visit
Bangladesh Army chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed on Monday morning left for the UAE on a two-day official visit.
General Shafiuddin will hold bilateral meetings with the UAE Chief of Army Staff and discuss bilateral relations and mutual cooperation between the armies of the two countries during the visit, the Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate said in a statement.
Read:Army Chief General Shafiuddin off to S Korea
General Shafiuddin will also attend the coveted International Dubai Air Show-2021 in the UAE capital.
The Army Chief is scheduled to return home November 18, the directorate said.
Remain ever ready to make any sacrifice: Hasina to Army personnel
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the members of the Bangladesh Army to remain always ready to make the highest sacrifice to protect the interests of the nation.
“I believe the Bangladesh Army will remain ever ready for the highest sacrifice in any national need alongside protecting the country’s sovereignty,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a function of the Bangladesh Army virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
The function was arranged to give the national standard (national flag) to 10 units and hand over the new flag to Mujib Regiment and Rowshan Ara Regiment of the Bangladesh Army at the Artillery Centre and School at Halishahar Cantonment in Chattogram.
Hasina said the Bangladesh Army has been playing a significant role in building the nation with their works in facing natural and manmade disasters as well as socio-economic and infrastructural development alongside protecting the country’s sovereignty.
She mentioned their important role in the development of the country’s communication system and facing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hasina said the members of Bangladesh Army brought honour and dignity for Bangladesh by demonstrating their outstanding dedication, dutifulness and professionalism in the establishment of global peace and different foreign missions, which undoubtedly have brightened the image of the country in the world arena.
On behalf of the Prime Minister, Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed handed over the national standards to the respective commanders of 4, 12 and 20 field regiments artillery, 5 Air Defence Artillery, Riverine Engineering Battalion, 1 and 2 Signal Battalions, Army Aviation group and NCO Academy as well as reintroduced the flag to the commanders of the Mujib Regiment and Rowshan Ara Regiment Artillery.
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The Prime Minister said the human and compassionate approach of the Army members while discharging their duty everywhere, including in foreign countries, impress the common people,’ she said.
Talking about her government’s activities for the modernization of the Armed Forces, she said, “Our armed forces have been strengthened and achieved enough progress in the last 13 years.”
The forces have particularly been making a special contribution towards curbing militancy and terrorism, the Prime Minister said.
She said her government that was formed in 1996 established the National Defence College and Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) to make the army a time-befitting force and improve its training quality.
Coming to power in 2009, her government formulated the Forces Goal-2030 and the Defence Policy 2018 in line with the Defence Policy 1974 framed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she mentioned.
The Prime Minister congratulated the members of the units which were conferred upon the national flag and asked them to uphold the dignity of the flag.
READ: South Asian nations should work together: Hasina
She said Bangladesh is marching forward defying hundreds of adversities as her government’s goal is to build a hunger- and poverty-free developed and prosperous Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation.
“Bangladesh will continue to march forward with the spirit of the great Liberation War. We’ll move ahead keeping our heads high on the world stage,” she added.
At the event, the Prime Minister virtually witnessed a smartly turned-out parade of the members of the units.
No alternative to building field hospitals to save lives: GM Quader
As Covid cases continue to surge in Bangladesh, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Friday said there is no alternative to setting up field hospitals to save the lives of the virus-infected people.
In a statement, he said it has become urgent to construct field hospitals for Covid treatment in the areas where the virus transmission is very high. “Since the outbreak of corona is not waning, there’s no alternative to building the field hospitals at this moment to save the lives of the country’s people.”
Read: Govt losing trust with ministers’ ‘funny’ remarks: GM Quader
If necessary, the Jatiya Party chief said, members of Bangladesh Army can be given the responsibility to build field hospitals.
He said the Delta variant has spread to remote areas. “Gradually, the entire country has become a hotspot for corona. Already, about 90 percent of beds in Covid dedicated hospitals are now packed and ICU beds are occupied in most hospitals.”
Referring to Health Minister Zahid Maleque’s comment that the government is thinking of renting hotels for providing treatment to Covid patients with mild complications, GM Quader said setting up field hospitals is relatively more convenient and less risky for the treatment of the highly contagious coronavirus.
Read: Mass vaccination only solution to Covid crisis: GM Quader
“China, Thailand and Indonesia have already had successes in corona treatment by building field hospitals to deal with corona,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chairman said the members of Bangladesh Army’s engineering corps build field hospitals hurriedly during various military exercises every year. “They’ve a great experience in building field hospitals. The country will benefit only if the Bangladesh Army is given the responsibility to build field hospitals.”
Read:GM Quader demands probe into vaccine, Covid test costs
For the past few weeks, Bangladesh has been experiencing the worst coronavirus wave spurred by the highly transmittable Delta variant which was first identified in India.
According to a survey by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), 98 percent of the Covid patients recently detected in Bangladesh are of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Promote right persons in Army: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the Army Headquarters Selection Board-2021 needs to pick qualified people for promotion aiming to build a strong military.
“I believe that the selection board will select qualified people for promotion through wisdom and prudent analyses rising above the personal liking and disliking. You’ll have to find out the able leadership maintaining neutrality by remaining free from all influences,” Hasina said while addressing the meeting of the selection board.
The Prime Minister joined the meeting, held at Army Multipurpose Complex, virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Read: Army Chief distributes food aid among 5,000 destitute people
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
Hasina said she is happy to know that TRACE (Tabulated Record and Comparative Evaluation) Method is followed in the case of promotion of Army officers, which is a manifestation of a comparative assessment of various aspects of their professionalism.
“Right persons will have to be promoted for various important appointments such as command, staff and trainers. This will increase the acceptance to all,” she said.
The PM said the Awami League government always governs the country as the servant of people, never as a ruler. A disciplined and modern army plays a very helpful role in consolidating democracy, she said.
Read:Help achieve green recovery of CVF-V20 countries: Hasina to developed nations
“That’s why its leadership must be entrusted to professional and responsible officers who are always ready for supreme sacrifices to protect the sovereignty [of the country], being imbued with the ideology of the great Liberation War,” she added.
“Discipline is the backbone of the Army. At the same time, it’s necessary to find honest, fair-minded, righteous, people-friendly and humane officers who are successful in various fields of their career,” she added.
Hasina said Bangladesh Army had started its progress due to the sincere efforts of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In the continuation of the progress journey, the army has now become a highly professional, efficient and modern force due to intensive care from her government, she said.
“Our army has been working very efficiently in various development and public welfare activities, including containing the recent Corona pandemic, which is really commendable. Not only in the country, our Army has brought a rare honour and dignity to the country from the world stage,” she said.
Read: Women’s participation in ICT sector to be raised substantially: Hasina
Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed delivered the welcome speech at the virtual function.
Assuming power in 1996, Hasina said her government have been taking initiatives to modernise the armed forces and established National Defence College (NDC) in 1996, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in 1998, Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) and Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC).
In order to enhance the organisational capacity of the army, the government has added a significant number of units and institutions alongside three new formations in its organizational structure. In 2016, the government established Bangladesh Peace Building Center (HPC), she added.
Talking about the country’s economic progress, Hasina said the poverty rate was brought down to 20.5 percent while per capita income has been raised to US 2,227 dollars. The government brought 99 percent of people under electricity coverage, she said.
The six-day activities of the selection board started on Thursday in order to award promotion to Army officers.
Army women headed to Mali complete rappelling exercise
For the first time, female members of the Bangladesh Army have successfully completed landing training from a helicopter with full combat load through rappelling.
The training was recently held at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in Rajendrapur of Gazipur district.
Also read: UN appreciates Dhaka’s proposal for showcasing women in peacekeeping
In pre-preparation for the deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, a total of five female members of the Bangladesh Army, including four female soldiers, led by Captain Yasfin, Leader of the Banbat-8 Female Engagement Team, participated in the training, says an Inter Service Public Relation Press release on Thursday afternoon.
Army may be deployed to enforce lockdown, hints state minister
The army may be deployed to enforce the upcoming nationwide "strict lockdown" from Monday, hinted the State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain.
"Police and the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) will ensure strict enforcement of the lockdown and the army may also be deployed," he told UNB.
Read: Coronavirus: 2,500 Army members aiding local administration
"Initially the lockdown will be imposed for seven days, which may be extended further depending on the Covid-19 situation," the minister added.
Earlier on Monday, Press Information Department Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarker disclosed that the government is going to enforce a new nationwide "strict lockdown" from Monday.
Read: Coronavirus: Army warns of tough action from Thursday
The restrictions will remain in place for seven days, he added.
Government and private offices, barring those of emergency services, will remain shut during this period.
All modes of transport, except those carrying emergency goods, will also remain suspended and nobody will be allowed to go out unless there is an emergency.
However, the restrictions will not apply to the media, ambulances, and vehicles used for medical purposes.
The Cabinet Division will come up with details regarding the "strict lockdown" on Saturday, Surath said.
New army chief SM Shafiuddin adorned with rank badge of General
Newly-appointed Chief of Army Staff SM Shafiuddin Ahmed was adorned with the rank badge of ‘General’ in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganobhaban on Thursday morning.
“Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan adorned the new army chief with the rank badge of General,” PM's Assistant Press Secretary MM Emrul Kayas told UNB.
After the badge-adorning ceremony, the Prime Minister congratulated the new army chief with a bouquet and wished him success, he said.
Also read: PM asks army personnel to stay ever prepared to safeguard national sovereignty
Shafiuddin Ahmed also greeted the Prime Minister by presenting a bouquet.
Gen. Aziz pays farewell call on the President
Outgoing chief of Army Staff Gen. Aziz Ahmed on Thursday paid a farewell call on President Mohammad Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.
Gen. Aziz briefed the President on the overall steps taken during his tenure for the development of the Bangladesh Army, President’s Press Secretary Joynal said.
He thanked the President for his overall support during his tenure.
President Hamid lauded the various initiatives of the outgoing Army chief in modernizing the Army and thanked him for successful discharge of his responsibilities.
Secretary to the President's Office Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Maj. Gen. SM Salah Uddin Islam and Secretary ( Attached) Wahidul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.
PM asks army personnel to stay ever prepared to safeguard national sovereignty
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked members of Bangladesh Army to stay ever-prepared to face any disaster alongside safeguarding country’s sovereignty like they did in the past.
She also directed them to attain professional excellence and discipline keeping pace with the changed world order.
The Prime Minister was addressing a function on inclusion of “Tiger Multiple Launch Rocket/Missile System (MLRS)” in Bangladesh Army at Savar Cantonment. She spoke from her official residence Ganobhaban through video conference.
Sheikh Hasina said the modern MLRS system can very quickly and effectively launch simultaneous attacks on multiple targets and it will add a new dimension in increasing the Army’s operational capability.
The MLRS system is included in the Army on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Golden Jubilee of the Country’s independence.
The Prime Minister termed the day as memorable for the step taken in modernizing the country’s Armed Forces.
Also read: Hasina to Army: Help people improve their lifestyle
This new system will also increase mental strength and self confidence of the members of the Army alongside strengthening their institutional capability, she said.
Terming Bangladesh Army as pride of the nation, Sheikh Hasina said, members of the force are making highest sacrifices during any crisis moment as well as protecting independence and sovereignty of the country.
Shafiuddin Ahmed appointed chief of Bangladesh Army
The government has appointed Lieutenant General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed as the new chief of Bangladesh Army.
The Ministry of Defence issued a gazette notification in this regard on Thursday.
It said Shafiuddin, now serving as Quartermaster General at the Army Headquarters, will be promoted to the rank of General on June 24 as he will take over charge as the Army chief for the next three years.
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"Bangladesh Army's BA-2496 Lieutenant General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, OSP, NDU, PSC, Quartermaster General has been given the appointment as the new chief of Bangladesh Army from June 24 afternoon for the next three years," the notification reads.
He will replace current army chief General Aziz Ahmed.
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