Praising the armed forces for their involvement in development activities, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said they needed to work together with people to ensure the country's development.

“We've to build our country, and our armed forces are getting involved in the development activities to make that happen,” she said.

The premier was addressing the graduation ceremony of National Defence College (NDC) and Armed Forces War Course at Sheikh Hasina Complex of Defence Services Command and Staff College at Mirpur Cantonment.

Hasina said the government calls out the army whenever any tough job has to be carried out. “The Navy is working in some places while the Air Force is engaged somewhere else.”

She said all the forces were working together to build the country. “As a result, we can now complete many projects so quickly.”

She reaffirmed her commitment to take timely actions to modernise the armed forces in the light of Force's Goal 2030 to strengthen their capacity to face multidimensional challenges of the 21st century.

Hasina said her government was closely monitoring the ever-changing war crafts and technologies, and constantly reviewing the capacity of the country's armed forces.

The government has been working to establish the armed forces as the most professional and well-trained forces equipped with modern technology, she added.

The PM said members of the armed forces have always worked with integrity, commitment and diligence to help people during disasters.

She highly praised the role of the NDC in strengthening the civil-military relations. She hoped the new graduates of the National Defence College would take the nation towards self-reliance.

Referring to sheltering and providing humanitarian assistance to over one million Rohingyas, she said Bangladesh never hesitated to respond to humanitarian calls despite having various limitations. “That's why Bangladesh is lauded as a compassionate and respectable member in today's world.”

A total of 53 officials, including 29 brigadier generals of Bangladesh Army, five commodores of Bangladesh Navy, two air commodores and three group captains of Bangladesh Air Force, 11 joint secretaries of the civil service, two DIGs of Bangladesh Police and the director general of the foreign ministry took part in the National Defence Course, 2017.

Besides, 27 foreign officials, including three each from India and Sri Lanka, 10 from Nigeria, two from Saudi Arabia and one each from Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Tanzania and the USA participated in the course.

Twenty-five lieutenant colonels, one captain and four commanders of Bangladesh Navy, four group captains and one wing commander of Air Force took part in the Armed Forces War Course.