Military Museum will inspire youths to join armed forces: PM

DHAKA, Jan 6 (BSS): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the state-of-the-art Bangabandhu Military Museum (BMM) would inspire the young generation to join the armed forces to protect the country's independence and sovereignty.

"Young generation will be encouraged being imbued with patriotism by the Bangabandhu Military Museum and to join the armed forces---army, navy and air forces---to defend the country's independence and sovereignty," she said.

She came up with the statements while inaugurating the museum virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence here.

The premier said the museum would be a milestone initiative for the country's armed forces through which the youths would know about the armed forces' contribution to the independence alongside the real history of the great Liberation War.

It would also be a "place of inspiration" for the armed forces personnel who have been working in various peacekeeping missions abroad to maintain the global peace, she mentioned.

She said, "They (Bangladeshi peacekeepers) will get self-satisfaction through establishment of the museum."

The prime minister said that her government would make the museum more modern and time-befitting as it would be the world's best military museum for its beauty and technology.

She added separate galleries for the army, navy and air forces to showcase their glory and contribution to the Liberation War, peace keeping missions and other works will attract the youths to join the armed forces with a patriotic zeal to protect the country's independence and sovereignty.

Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan, and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, spoke on the occasion from the museum site at Bijoy Sarani Road.

Cabinet members, lawmakers, high civil and military officials were present at the museum end.

The Bangabandhu Military Museum was built on 10 acres of land on the west side of the Bangabandhu Novo Theater where equipment of the military, before and after the independence, would be presented.

The museum has six separate parts including designated galleries for Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force.