PM alerts BGB to avert 2009-like incident

Calling for vigilance to avert any incident like the 2009 BDR massacre in any force in the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked on Saturday members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to convey her immediately in case of any problem, reports UNB.
"If there's any problem, let us know immediately, we'll solve the problem…we don't want to see any heartrending incident in any disciplined force that happened here," she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a special Darbar of BGB at its Peelkhana headquarters in the capital.
After her inaugural speech at the Darbar, the PM invited the BGB personnel to say about their problems, if any. "I want questions from you; if you have anything to say, please tell."
The Prime Minister said the present government was in power just to serve people. "You're the citizens of the country, it's our duty to look after you, too," she told the BGB personnel.
She also stressed the need for maintaining mutual respect and honour among members of the BGB saying discipline, humanity, respect and honour to seniors and above all mutual sympathy can only strengthen the force.
Hasina expressed firm optimism that the BGB would one day become a world class peacekeeping force saying they should not do anything that could damage the country's image.
Recalling the tragic BDR mutiny incident, Sheikh Hasina said her government had completed the reforms of the force within the shortest time and brought those who committed the crimes to book.
Of many other steps, nearly 20,000 additional troops had been recruited since 2009 following the new organisational structure, the Prime Minister told the Darbar.
Terming BGB as 'ever-vigilant sentinels of the border', Sheikh Hasina said her government had increased its strength to make the force more capable of safeguarding the country's land boundaries.
Talking about 479-kilometre-long porous border with India, the Prime Minister said her government already approved two sectors, five battalions and 92 BOPs for the BGB adding that most of the projects had already been implemented.
With full implementation of the projects, the entire Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) would be much more protected, she said.
Hasina expressed her hope that the BGB members would continue accomplishing their responsibilities with honesty, patriotism and discipline. She said her government would provide all-out support and cooperation to this end.
Later, the Prime Minister responded to a number of questions raised by the members of the BGB attending the Darbar.
BGB Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed delivered the welcome address at the Darbar attended by ministers, sate ministers, MPs, diplomats and high civil and military officials.