2024-02-14 04:47:44
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard to perform their duties with patriotism, courage and sincerity.
He made this call on the occasion of Bangladesh Coast Guard’s 29th founding anniversary and ‘Bangladesh Coast Guard Day-2024’. Prime Minister congratulated all the members of the army.
The Prime Minister said, ‘We have updated the old law and enacted the ‘Bangladesh Coast Guard Act, 2016’. We have adopted a plan to reorganize the force by enacting contemporary laws and employing our own manpower according to the vision of the force in 2030 and 2041 to provide green economy and security in the deep sea.
Expressing the hope that the present government will continue to support the development of the Coast Guard, he said, Bangladesh Coast Guard has made a special contribution to the implementation of our government’s ‘Vision 2041’, ‘Sunil Economy’ and ‘Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100’ and the dream of the father of the nation, Sonar Bangla, i.e. Smart Bangladesh. will keep
Sheikh Hasina said that the Bangladesh Navy was well organized in the middle of the liberation war in response to the call of the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. During the liberation war, the members of this force themselves bought boats and confronted the enemy and conducted ‘Operation Jackpot’ successfully. Narayanganj Drydock and Engineering built the first warship in 1972 under the instructions of the Father of the Nation.
He said, ‘The Territorial Waters and Maritime Zone Act’ was enacted on February 14, 1974. In this, under the supervision of the Navy, the defense system in the country’s rivers and seas is strengthened. Based on this law, sea conquest was possible later on by the initiative of our government. From the Awami League opposition party, Sunil introduced the ‘Bangladesh Coast Guard Bill’ in the National Parliament in 1994 with the aim of forming a specialized force with an emphasis on strengthening the economy and security in Bangladesh’s sovereign waters. After this proposal became a law, ‘Bangladesh Coast Guard’ was established as an alternative force to protect the sovereignty of the country, but after the formation of the government in 1996 under the leadership of Awami League, this organization started its activities in full force.
He said, in 1996 we handed over 2 patrol vessels and 2 relief boats to the Coast Guard and in 2001 we commissioned an inshore patrol vessel named BCGS Rupsi Bangla to the Coast Guard. Moreover, we provide adequate allocation for setting up the organization’s infrastructure.
The Prime Minister said that after the formation of the government in 2008 with huge public support, we focused on increasing the manpower in the organizational structure of the force, including ‘strengthening the Bangladesh Coast Guard’, building training bases, acquiring or building sea-going vessels, building infrastructure, and increasing the capacity of this force. Starting as a small force, the force has grown over the past three decades to a trained force of 5,102, with a fleet of 179 vessels including 28 different types of ships.
He said, in the last 15 years, we have constructed residences, barracks and administrative buildings for working members along with Coastal Crisis Management Centers at Coast Guard stations and outposts in the coastal and remote areas of the country. We have enhanced the training capacity of the Coast Guard manpower by establishing its own training base at Patuakhali, which has been commissioned as ‘BCG Base Agrajatra’. A dockyard is being constructed at Ghazaria, Munshiganj to increase repair and maintenance capacity. We have built and added 77 vessels of various sizes including offshore patrol vessels, inshore patrol vessels, tug boats, floating cranes, high speed boats. We have commissioned 2 inshore patrol vessels, 2 tug boats, 1 floating crane and 10 high speed boats to the Coast Guard last year. Besides, I have approved the construction of 4 new Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPVs) and 5 Riverine Patrol Vessels (RPVs) at domestic shipyards to strengthen and accelerate the operational activities of the Coast Guard. We have also undertaken the procurement of advanced technology seagoing ships, hovercrafts, helicopters and fast boats to transform into a modern, powerful and smart force.
He wished for the overall success of all the programs undertaken on the occasion of Bangladesh Coast Guard’s 29th anniversary and Bangladesh Coast Guard Day 2024.
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