Crackdown on corruption, drugs to continue
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated that the ongoing drives against corruption, drugs and terrorism will continue to protect the society from such menaces.
“We have already announced a zero-tolerance policy against drugs, terrorism, militancy and corruption. So, the drives against corruption, drugs and terrorism will continue,” she said while delivering her speech at the graduation ceremony of Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) 2020 at Sheikh Hasina Complex of Mirpur Cantonment in the capital.
The PM urged the members of the Armed Forces to pay special attention to these social menaces.
Hasina said her government wants to utilise merit, knowledge and strength of the youth in the interest of the country.
Mentioning that the Armed Forces of Bangladesh have been contributing to the United Nations peacekeeping missions, she said, “I want to develop them as modern forces so that they can move forward in keeping pace with any country and face the situation in any country [where they are or would be deployed]. “
She added the Bangladesh Armed Forces earned fame in whichever country they worked in and won the hearts of the locals of different countries through humanitarian services.
Emphasising on trainings, Hasina said she always thinks that training is the most important as the armed forces can protect the sovereignty and independence of the country as well as do social work more competently through trainings.
She mentioned that the armed forces have been playing a significant role in the social and infrastructural development in the country. “The fame [of the armed forces] has increased as they work very competently,” the PM said.
About the fresh graduates, she said they have acquired knowledge of warfare and contemporary national and international affairs during their 45-week DSCSC course.
The PM said this acquired knowledge would help the graduates perform duties and responsibilities as well as face any challenge. They can also contribute more to the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh.
Hasina said her government formulated the “Forces Goal 2030” and is now implementing it for the development of the Armed Forces.
Against the backdrop of the emerging security scenario, the DSCSC training curricula have been modernised with contemporary modules and the computer-assisted war-game has been played on the campus for the first time, through which the college campus has turned into a digitised one, she said.
Hasina described the 54 foreign graduates as goodwill ambassadors of Bangladesh on foreign lands. “I hope, you will remain friends of Bangladesh... you will remain as goodwill ambassadors and will never forget Bangladesh.”
Focusing on the development of Bangladesh in the last one decade under her government, Hasina said the GDP growth reached 8.15 percent and the per capita income nearly $2,000, but the inflation rate remains at 5.4 percent.
Speaking about the poverty rate dropping to 20.5 percent from 41 percent in 2005-2006 fiscal year, she said her government wants to cut it down further. “If we can bring it down to 14-16 percent, we can declare Bangladesh as a poverty-free country,” she said.
A total of 235 officers, including 125 officers from the army, 34 from the navy and 22 from the air force, and 54 overseas officers from 21 countries of the world graduated this year.
The 21 countries from where overseas officers attended the DSCSC 2019-2020 course are China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, the USA and Zambia.
Commandant of the college Major General Md Enayet Ullah delivered the welcome speech.
The PM handed over the certificates among the graduate officers.
Senior military and civil officials and vice-chancellors of several universities were present at the graduation ceremony.
The Defence Services Command and Staff College is a prime military institution of the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
It provides professional military education to selected mid-career officers of the three services and prepares them for assumption of increasing responsibilities both in command and staff appointment.
A total of 5,253 officers, including five police officers and 1,165 overseas students from 42 countries, have so far graduated from the college.
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