Drives against graft, terror to continue

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated that the ongoing drive against corruption, terrorism and militancy would continue.

Addressing a civic and military gathering at a reception arranged at Senakunja in Dhaka cantonment on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day 2019, Sheikh Hasina also urged the Bangladesh Armed Forces to continue its role in building the country.

“If peace and order prevail in the country, the progress is inevitable. So, the ongoing drive against terrorism, militancy and corruption will continue. We want to ensure that the people of the country live in peace and safety,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina asked the Armed Forces to continue its contributions towards upholding the democratic tend through their efforts for maintaining the maximum sense of responsibility and the discipline.

“I believe our Armed Forces will continue to play their role in building the country following the chain of command and being accountable to the Constitution under all circumstances,” she said.

The PM urged all, including the Armed Forces, to work together to develop Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country being imbued with patriotism.

Highlighting the socioeconomic uplift of people and progress of the country, Hasina said Bangladesh already got recognition as a developing country after coming out from the least-developed status. “We’ll have to move forward retaining this recognition (status) of the developing country.”

She said Bangladesh attained 8.13 percent GDP growth in the last fiscal year and 8.20 percent GDP growth has been targeted for the current fiscal year.

Noting that the poverty rate declined to 21 percent now from 41 percent in 2006, the Prime Minister said her government wants to lower the poverty rate further.

“If we can bring down the poverty rate at 15-17 percent, we’ll definitely get recognition of a poverty-free country,” she said.

Mentioning that Bangladesh economy is now strong enough, Hasina said, “We want to stand our own feet. We want to build Bangladesh by ourselves. I want you all to build your own country by working sincerely from their respective position.”

The prime minister said the Bangladesh Armed Forces has been playing a role in serving the distressed people in the country.

Alongside protecting the independence and sovereignty of the country, the Armed Forces plays active role in facing any disaster, she said.

“Our Armed Forces are acclaimed in the international arena in restoring and maintaining peace and stability in the world,” Hasina said.

Many members of the forces sacrificed their lives going to the peacekeeping missions for protecting peace, said the Prime Minister seeking salvation of the departed souls and expressed sympathy to bereaved families.

She said the government wanted to make the Armed Forces fit for the 21st century and formulated the Forces Goals and undertook long-term plan for them to this end.