Bangladesh Armed Forces Day today

[EastBengalPro]

The Armed Forces Day will be observed today with due solemnity and enthusiasm in the military establishments across the country.
The Inter Services Public Relation Directorate said that the day’s programme would begin with the offering of special prayers after Fazr prayers at all mosques in the army cantonments, naval and air force bases in the country seeking divine blessings for the wellbeing and prosperity of the nation and progress of the armed forces.
On this day during the Liberation War in 1971, the Bangladesh Armed Forces, comprising army, navy and air force, came into being and launched an all-out attack on the marauding Pakistani forces.
The president, M Abdul Hamid, and the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, also the defence minister, on Monday greeted all the members of armed forces on the eve of the day.
In his message, Hamid said that strong confidence in leadership, mutual trust and respect, dutifulness, professional skills and above all discipline were prerequisite for the development of any force.
The prime minister in her message expressed the hope that each of the members of the armed forces division would discharge their duties with the spirit of ‘patriotism, professionalism and high morality.’
Army chief General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, Navy chief Admiral Mohammad Nizamuddin Ahmed and Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar will make a courtesy call on the president at Bangabhaban and the prime minister at the Armed Forces Division at Dhaka Cantonment today.
Hasina will host a reception and meet families of the Bir Shresthas and other decorated freedom fighters at the division.
Twenty-six officers and rankers from army, navy and air force would be awarded for their peace time contribution in 2016-17.
In the afternoon, Hasina will host a reception at Sena Kunja at Dhaka Cantonment.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia was also invited to the reception, said her party leaders. She would skip the reception this year like the past four occasions.
In her message, Khaleda, also former prime minister, said that all initiatives would be taken in future to build up the armed forces one of the capable and strong forces of the world as her party ‘did in the past while in power.’
Many defence officers and decorated freedom fighters alleged that they were not invited to the reception because of their political affiliation with BNP.
Decorated freedom fighter and retired major general Syed Muhammad Ibrahim also said that he was not invited this year like the past year.
Ibrahim, also BNP’s ally Kalyan Party chairman, said that it was too unfortunate when a government with spirit of War of Liberation was not inviting a decorated freedom fighter because of political affiliation.
Armed Forces Division officials said that the invitations were sent on approval from the government.
BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman, also former army chief, however, told New Age that he got the invitation but he was too sick to join the reception this time.
Retired major general Fazle Elahi Akbar, who was appointed the force commander in the strife-torn Sudan in 2004, said he was not ‘fortunate enough’ to be invited.
Two retired generals told New Age that Khaleda, also a widow of the former army chief Ziaur Rahman, was invited but would not join the reception hosted by her archrival Sheikh Hasina.
‘Last time when I was accompanying her [Khaleda] at the reception she was welcomed by a lady officer and was requested not to use red carpet as the prime minister was set to arrive. She was not treated properly although she was the leader of the opposition in the parliament at that time,’ said a retired general.
Retired major Sarwar Hossain said that not only he but many other former defence officers with their ties with opposition party, including retired air vice marshal Altaf Hossain Choudhury, retired Major General Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, and retired Rear Admiral Mustafizur Rahman, were not invited.
Bangladesh Navy will show naval warships from 2:00pm to 4:30pm at Dhaka’s Sadarghat, BIWTA Jetty in Narayanganj, New Mooring Naval Jetty in Chittagong, BIWTA Rocket Jetty in Khulna and BIWTA Jetty in Barisal and Chandpur to mark the day.
Traffic in and around the Dhaka Cantonment would be restricted.

http://www.newagebd.net/article/28800/armed-forces-day-today