<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said Bangladesh wants to maintain friendship with everyone, but it will do whatever is needed to protect its independence and sovereignty.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We do not want that anyone will undermine our independence and sovereignty. We want to go with friendship, but to protect our country’s independence and sovereignty we will do whatever is needed,” she said, adding “We have to always keep this in our mind.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister declared this while addressing a darbar after inaugurating the newly constructed 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Battery Complex' at the Artillery Center and School in Chittagong's Halishahar Cantonment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We want peace with all. Our country is an independent and sovereign one. We have attained victory through war. We have to retain that independence that we have got by winning the war,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina said that nowadays war is also fought through digital means and that’s why the country needs to build modern knowledge-based highly trained armed forces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We want that our armed forces will be more developed, more skilled and more trained and we are working in that direction,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She also said that Bangladesh Army is now a symbol of confidence to the nation as they always remain beside the people whenever is needed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The armed forces will discharge their responsibilities with professional skills, dutifulness, practice, training and be imbued with patriotism,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier said the Awami League government has been working to achieve the sustainable development targets by 2030 and build a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"For this, every member of the Bangladesh Army would have to be smart having knowledge of information technology," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She asked the army personnel to work for maintaining the country's glory with dutifulness, professional efficiency and patriotism having confidence on and loyalty to the leadership.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She briefly described the measures taken by her government for the overall development of the army.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As part of the modernisation of the army, she said, ultra-modern aircraft, helicopters, UAV, fourth generation tanks, APCs, missiles to destroy tank and other war weapons have been added to the army.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina highly praised the overall activities of the army for the country's welfare, saying, "Bangladesh Army has been well established as the symbol of confidence of the people," reports UNB.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She told that Bangladesh military have been highly praised at home and abroad for its work efficiency and professionalism in the peacekeeping missions of the United Nations (UN).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Modern light armoured vehicles and mine resistant ambush protected vehicles have been purchased for the army to enhance operational capabilities and ensure their security in the UN missions, she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On her arrival at the venue, the prime minister was received by Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>