Stay alert against conspiracies: PM Sheikh Hasina

"The conspirators would not be successful if people remain aware and cooperate with the government," the Prime Minister said while pointing out the recent murders of two foreign nationals and other subversive activities. The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating a newly constructed academic building of Defense Service Command and Staff College and distributing keys of the residential flats to the families of the martyred and deceased armed forces officers at a function at Mirpur Cantonment.

In the function flats were handed over to the families of 68 officers of the army, navy and air force who embraced martyrdom in Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009 and died in various incidents including in the UN peace keeping missions.

The academic building named as "Sheikh Hasina Complex" is equipped with modern facilities and constructed with a view to provide higher training to the officers from home and abroad.

Chief of Bangladesh Army General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq also spoke on the occasion.

Cabinet members, parliament members, PM's Security Advisor Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique (retd), Chiefs of naval and air forces and senior military and civil officials attended the function.

The Prime Minister said "A vested quarter always comes up with some subversive activities whenever the nation receives global acclimation for its any success. They stage these mischievous occurrences under an orchestrated plan, she said.

Seeking support of the countrymen to carry forward the development activities the Prime Minister said her government is constantly fighting the terrorists, militants and conspirators for which a large segment of the government's efforts and working-hour is spent.

"We would have been able to use our efforts and labour more for nation's development if we did not had to fight with those menaces," she said.

Mentioning the steps taken by her government for development of the armed forces, the Prime Minister said during her office in the first term, the government established and expanded several academies and institutions to provide modern training to the officers of Bangladesh Army.

As many as 97 projects at a cost of Taka 363 crore were taken in 2012-2013 fiscal year to resolve the residential problems of the defense force. New projects and expansion of DOHS were taken. A total of 6080 plots were allocated among the officers under the "Jalsiri" project.

Appreciating the role of the defense forces in nation building activities, the Prime Minister said our armed forces is best in responding quickly during any national calamity and disaster and it has already drawn acclimation from world community.

Pointing out a request from the UN to send female contingent from Bangladesh in its peace keeping mission, Sheikh Hasina said the government has agreed with the global expectation. She called upon the authorities concerned for building up female contingent in Bangladesh Army to fulfill the requirement of the UN.

"Our goal is to build modern armed forces to cope with the national and global challenges," she said adding armed forces need international standard training as they are working in the UN peacekeeping mission.

The Prime Minister mentioned her government's decision to run many of the public enterprises under the management of the armed forces saying those entities are functioning better now and working profitably. She said Bangladesh Army has been given the responsibility to operate Dhaka Vegetable Oil Ltd. Company.

The Prime Minister said her government has taken all possible steps for welfare of the families of the army offices who embraced martyrdom in Pilkhana in February 2009.

"I can realize better the pain of losing near and dears," she said adding the culprits of Pilkhana carnage were brought to justice and steps are taken for rehabilitation of the families of the victims.

The Prime Minister expressed her firm determination to build Bangladesh as a middle income country by 2021 and developed one by 2041 saying extreme poverty level has come down to 7.9 percent.

Bangladesh is going ahead keeping its good relations with all neighbours, she said adding the government has also given emphasis on regional connectivity, economic corridor to expedite the pace of development.