Discard 'martial law' from military lexicon: PM

She asks all to exercise austerity in spending public money

FE Team | Published: September 07, 2020 23:56:37

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for discarding "martial law word" from the "military lexicon" or terminology, saying that it (martial law) never brought any welfare for the country and the armed forces as well, reports BSS.
The Prime Minister said this Monday while addressing the inaugural event of the Armed Forces Selection Board-2020 through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban.
The chiefs of the three services and other high officials got connected from their respective headquarters.
"We should exclude the 'martial law word' from 'military lexicon' as it never brought any welfare, rather than bloodbath, for the country and the armed forces as well," she told the Armed Forces Selection Board Meeting.
Referring to 19 coups that took place during the military rule of Ziaur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina said a huge number of officers and soldiers were killed in the armed forces during these coups.
"Such a huge number of armed forces officers and soldiers don't die even in a war that happened during the rule of military dictator Ziaur Rahman … we don't want to hear any more crying of the fathers for losing their sons and of the sons for losing their fathers (in the armed forces)," she added.
Sheikh Hasina said the armed forces were mostly affected due to the coups that took place after the August 15, 1975 carnage.
The premier said many armed forces members who took part in the Liberation War were brutally killed in these coups.
PM's Security Adviser Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, Principal Secretary to Dr Ahmad Kaikaus and Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Mahfuzur Rahman and PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim were present at Ganabhaban.
UNB report adds: Expressing concern over mobilisation of funds to implement the fiscal budget in this situation, Sheikh Hasina asked all to exercise austerity in spending public money.
"This's true we've given a huge budget…it's not correct to think we'll spend all the money right now. This is also a question how much money we'll be able to provide. So, we'll keep the expenditures except the very essential ones on hold temporarily reducing the expenses to some extent. We'll do these (less important expenditures) things when the good days will come back," she said.
About implementation of the national budget 2020-21, Hasina said though it was passed to chase the government's development targets, it might not be possible to implement it fully if the worldwide economic recession continues or worsen further.
"We might not do so (implement the budget fully) if the worldwide downturn continues or worsens. But we don't want to fall behind (the target) fearing in advance that we won't be able to do it. We'll have all the arrangements and preparations. We'll do as much as we can. It's our target," she said.
Hasina said the government placed this budget as it has a target to make Bangladesh a poverty-free country in the Mujib Borsha (Mujib Year).
She said the government had a target of 8.2 per cent GDP growth in the last fiscal year and 7.8 per cent growth was also achieved till April last, but it finally came down to 5.8 per cent at the end of the last fiscal year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even then, Hasina added, the government has continued its efforts and extended support to different sectors as much as possible. "So, we've not made less allocation in the budget."
"In the case of expenditures, all will have to spend (from the allocations) in a limited way…. we'll have to calculate right now how much money we'll be able to collect and spend in this economic situation. I would like to ask all even our Armed Forces - three services-to do so."
The Prime Minister said though there was an apprehension that the country's reserve of foreign currency declined, now it has increased to US$ 39.4 billion.