By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked generals of the Bangladesh army to select most qualified, capable, efficient and patriotic officers having belief in the spirit of the 1971 War of Liberation for promotion to higher ranks.
“You will have to find out patriotic and capable leaderships who believe in the great War of Liberation by analysing from neutral angle and rising above all things and I would like to tell those who would lead the army to be more careful about the subordinates,” she said.
The prime minister, who also holds the office of defence minister, gave the directives while addressing the Army Headquarters Selection Board-2015 in Dhaka cantonment yesterday.
Hasina said the independence of Bangladesh and spirit of the War of Liberation for the armed forces is ideologically fundamental and prime issue.
“So you will have to give attention always that the leadership of the army is bestowed upon those who are patriotic officers.”
The prime minister also suggested the generals giving priority to educational qualifications, professional excellence, honesty, trustworthiness and loyalty as well as discipline and capability of the leadership for promotion to higher posts.
“It is possible to clinch any victory and success through qualified and capable leadership. Therefore, those who became successful in giving leadership will have to be considered for promotion,” she said.
Terming discipline as the backbone of a well-organised force, the PM said the matter of discipline is not comparable with any other quality. “Any kind of compromise with the discipline must be avoided,” she opined.
Hasina put emphasis on evaluation of the role of the officers in different crucial times of national life including contribution to containing militancy, conducting anti-terrorism drive as well as maintaining constitutional continuity in the country.
In this regard, she expressed her satisfaction over selecting future leaderships in Bangladesh army based on seniority following tabulated record and comparative evaluation (TRACE) method.
Hasina said soon after the independence, father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman undertook massive steps to develop a modern and time-befitting army for the country.
She said Bangabandhu had a resolute confidence and trust as well as true love for Bangladesh army and for this, he encouraged his children to join the force.
“Whenever Awami League formed government, it worked for the development of the army following the footprint of the Father of the Nation,” she said, adding no government in the past did so much work for the armed forces that her administration implemented over the last six years.
The PM said her government in its 1996-2001 tenure established many new units and important organisations like National Defence College, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Armed Forces Medical College, Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training and Bangladesh Infantry Regimental Centre to expand and modernize the army.
Again after forming the government in 2009, Hasina said her government formulated Forces Goal-2030 in the light of the defence policy framed by Bangabandhu in 1974. “The implementation of the Forces Goal-2030 advanced much,” she said.
She said a deal has also been signed with Russia to procure 6 MI-171 helicopers, 330 APCs and 10 armoured recovery vehicles.
“A deal has also been inked for modernisation of 174 T-59 tanks to further increase
capability of the army,” she said.