Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said her government is taking initiative to build warships at Bangladesh shipyards in future.
She was addressing a function marking “President Parade (winter)-2020” of the passing out cadets of the Midshipman 2018 Alfa and Direct Entry Officer (DEO) 2020 Bravo.
The premier joined the program as the chief guest virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence.
Bangladesh Navy organized the function at the Bangladesh Naval Academy, Chattogram.
Sheikh Hasina said: "We handed over the responsibility of Khulna shipyard to Bangladesh Navy when we first formed government. We also handed over the dry-dockyards of Chattogram and Narayanganj to Bangladesh Navy. Moreover, we are building a submarine base in Pekua upazila of Cox's Bazar."
"Our goal is to build warships at our own shipyards," she said adding that her government has already taken some measures towards that goal.
The premier said her government would take every initiative necessary to protect the country’s independence and sovereignty to keep head high as an independent nation despite Bangladesh’s foreign policy is “Friendship to all, Malice to none.”
In this context, she said, “We want peace rather than war. But, we have to have all sorts of initiatives and training to safeguard the country’s sovereignty. We have been building all our forces keeping that in mind.”
Briefly spelling out the measures taken by her government for the advancement of the navy, she said, “We have already inducted 27 warships and two ultra-modern submarines to the Bangladesh navy to make it further stronger”.
The Bangladesh Navy has turned into a three-dimensional force with induction of the submarines, she added.
Besides, her government has taken measures including building Bangabandhu Complex to upgrade the training for the navy personnel to make them prepared enough as they could compete with any force across the globe, the premier went on saying.
On behalf of the prime minister, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal distributed prizes among the winners.
Bangladesh Navy arranged a spectacular parade marking the occasion which the premier witnessed virtually from the Ganabhaban.
BDST: 1600 HRS, DEC 30, 2020
AP
