<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">PrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government has been modernizing the Bangladesh Navy to protect marine resources and safeguard sea trade for economic prosperity.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“A prosperous economy would only be possible when we can ensure a safe and secure environment at sea. To that end, we’ve been modernizing our Navy by increasing its capacity and taking quality development programmes over time to protect our marine resources,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier said this inaugurating the four-day International Fleet Review (IFR) 2022 at Inani in Cox’s Bazar, being held with participation of the navies from different countries of the world.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the theme of ‘Friendship Beyond the Horizon,’ the Bangladesh Navy hosted the first-ever IFR – a congregation of warships and delegations from friendly navies, including those of China, India, USA, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina said the strategic and economic importance of the Indian Ocean has greatly increased now as 90 percent of the world's trade is made by seaways. So, safe seas are essential for free international trade, she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said there is a huge scope and potential for maritime trade, economic prosperity and extraction and exploration of marine resources. “Realising the immense potential of marine resources, our government has taken massive initiatives to develop the marine sector of Bangladesh,” she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM said, as a nation Bangladesh has always attached priority to global and regional peaceful coexistence. The Awami League government is running Bangladesh maintaining good relations with everyone, she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We believe that any problem can be solved through negotiation, not with conflict. The Armed Forces of Bangladesh are being strengthened not to fight a war, our mission is to establish peace as well as to protect the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina said war invites dire consequences for humankind as people of Bangladesh witnessed during the 1971 Liberation War. Now, the world is witnessing and feeling the dire consequences induced by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We don’t want war, we want peace,” she said, adding that she called upon the international community to stop this war and solve problems in a peaceful way, if any.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM said Bangladesh has been able to demonstrate its commitment to peaceful coexistence in the recent past. Bangladesh solved the maritime boundary disputes with neighbours peacefully, maintaining friendly ties with India and Myanmar, she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides, Bangladesh has managed to settle the land boundary problem with India in an amicable manner and exchanged enclaves between the two countries, she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Peace leads to prosperity, she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM hoped the 'IFR-2022' event organised by the Bangladesh Navy with the motto “Friendship Beyond the Horizon” would strengthen the bond of friendship between countries further. “I strongly believe that it will play an important role in increasing mutual trust and achieving economic prosperity among all the coastal countries,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She hoped that the representatives of countries participating in IFR 2022 will get a detailed idea about the immense potential of Bangladesh’s sea, infrastructure development in coastal areas and tourism.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Extending thanks to the Bangladesh Navy for organizing the important event, she hoped that such activities would continue in the coming days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier also inaugurated the Bangladesh Navy jetty at Inani in Cox’s Bazar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She witnessed a spectacular parade by Bangladesh Navy and foreign ships’ crew, free-fall jump by SEALs commando and an operational demonstration before reviewing the fleet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She unwrapped the cover of a publication titled “Bangabandhu &amp; Navy’s Journey in 50 Years’ in the inaugural ceremony of the IFR.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal delivered the welcome speech on the occasion. An audio-visual presentation was screened focusing on the journey of the Bangladesh Navy since the independence of the country. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>