DHAKA, March 28, 2019 (BSS)-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the
law enforcers particularly the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to ensure peace
by maintaining law and order to further accelerate the country’s development.
“The country’s economic development will speed up if we can maintain a
peaceful situation,” she said while addressing the 15th founding anniversary
of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at its headquarters at Kurmitola in the
capital this morning.
Describing peace and stability as key to success in accelerating the
country’s development, she said such a situation will boost foreign
investment to further augment the pace of advancement.
The premier asked the law enforcers to perform their duties with
professionalism, sincerity, dedication and honesty being imbued with
patriotism.
She instructed them to maintain law and order strictly so that the people
of the country can move and sleep safely.
She, however, asked the law enforcers to be compassionate and capture real
criminals instead of innocent people and said, “The people who commit crime
must be arrested whatever powerful they might be.”
But, keep in mind that no innocent person should be harassed, she added.
The premier directed the law enforcers to continue the drives against
militancy and drug abuse to capture the culprits alongside taking various
programmes to create social awareness as none can be involved in the menaces
in the days to come.
She extended heartfelt greetings to the law enforcers particularly the RAB
for containing militancy which had been able to earn global praise and
requested all to build a social movement against abuse of drugs likewise
against the militancy.
In this context, she said regional committees alongside with central one
involving all particularly scholars of various religious organizations such
as mosques and madrasas to raise a social awareness against the adverse
impact of militancy which had brought a good result.
The premier stressed creating such awareness against abuse of drug as no
young people can involve in taking drug alongside continuing the drives
against all the people involved in drug peddling.
She highlighted her government initiatives for development and modernizing
the RAB.
A video of RAB’s success in the last year in containing militancy, drug
abuse, and other criminal activities was also screened on the occasion.
At the event, she laid the foundation stones of three battalions of RAB
(10, 13 and 14) after removing curtails.
RAB Director General (DG) Benazir Ahmed gave the welcome address while
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan spoke on the occasion while Additional DG
(operation) Col Mohammad Jahangir Alam sought the premier’s permission to
conclude the Darbar marking RAB’s 15th founding anniversary.
Ministers, PM’s advisers, parliament members and high civil and military
officials were present at the function.
Earlier on her arrival at the venue, a smartly turned out contingent of the
RAB gave her a guard of honour.
The premier praised RAB for making the Sundarbans, once a hub of
terrorism, free from pirates as 328 pirates of 32 gangs have so far
surrendered and said that her government is taking necessary measures such as
giving financial assistance to help them to live normal lives.
She reiterated her assurance of taking measures to bring the anti-social
elements to normal life upon their surrender.
In this context, she said her government has formed a task force to
conduct crackdown on pirates.
Referring to the violence carried out by the BNP-Jamaat clique, she said
that around 500 people were killed and over 3000 injured in arson attacks
prior to the national polls in 2014.
But the election of 2018 was held in a peaceful manner as the law enforcers
played an active role, she added.
Like the past, the prime minister said, the RAB members would effectively
play their role in future to make the public life and property safe and
secured being imbued with the spirit of the War of Liberation.
Recalling the contributing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman to rebuilding the war-ravaged country and taking pragmatic
measures for development in only three and a half years of time, she said
that the country is advancing toward development following the footsteps and
ideals of Bangabandhu.
Talking about visionary leadership of Bangabandhu, she said the United
Nations (UN) formulated the sea boundary law in 1982 while Bangabandhu
enacted it in 1974.
She hoped that the country will be free from poverty and hunger when it
will observe the birth centennial of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman in 2020 and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence in 2021.
Both the events will be celebrated with a huge canvas across the country,
she mentioned.
The GDP growth rate is forecasted to be 8.13 percent this year while the
per capita income will be $ 1909 from $ 1751, she said, adding that her
government has been relentlessly working and formulating plans to give the
future generation even those who would celebrate centennial of the
Independence in 2071 a bright future.
Delta Plan-2021 has already been formulated to this respect, she continued.
She said that there are lots of proposals of foreign investments as huge
works are being carried out for the country’s overall development
particularly for infrastructural development.
As many as 100 economic zones are now being set up across the country which
will attract more foreign and local investments to accelerate the country’s
development, she added.