Prime Minister Tareque Rahman said on Sunday that safeguarding the honour of the national flag is a sacred responsibility for every soldier, describing the award of a national standard as a fresh pledge to carry out assigned duties with greater dedication and professionalism. He made the remarks at a ceremony in Savar where several battalions and regiments received their national standards, according to Dhakatimes24.
The units honoured were 7 and 32 Field Regiment Artillery, 25 Air Defence Regiment, 9 Engineer Battalion, 56 and 57 East Bengal, and the President Guard Regiment. The Prime Minister congratulated them for professional achievement and distinguished service.
Why it matters
The national standard is more than ceremonial. In the Prime Minister's framing, it represents a unit's history, tradition, discipline, sacrifice, professionalism and commitment to the country. The flying of the national flag, he said, recalls independence, sovereignty and the sacrifices of many people.
He told the gathering that receiving the standard means taking a new oath to discharge responsibilities with more sincerity, and that upholding the flag's dignity is the sacred duty of all soldiers.
A personal connection to army life
The Prime Minister noted that he grew up in a military household as a member of an army family, so the environment at the ceremony was not unfamiliar to him despite attending in a different capacity.
He also spoke about the army's role in the Liberation War. According to his account, after the Pakistani forces began a massacre on the night of 25 March 1971, Major Ziaur Rahman, then second-in-command of the 8th East Bengal Regiment in Chattogram, declared "We Revolt" and later directed Bengali officers and soldiers to join the armed struggle. The Prime Minister said Ziaur Rahman ordered armed struggle for independence at 2:15 am on 26 March and declared independence again on 27 March from the Kalurghat radio station. He described this officer's role in independence and the Liberation War as an inspiring and glorious chapter for the armed forces.
Modernisation, technology and welfare
On military capability, the Prime Minister said the strength of the armed forces is not limited to weapons, equipment or manpower. Real strength, he argued, lies in discipline, skill, leadership, ethics, training and public trust, and he stressed the importance of the chain of command.
He said work continues to make the armed forces more technology-driven, efficient, disciplined and professional. In the current global context, drones, artificial intelligence, cyberspace and electronic warfare have become important elements of national security, and defence preparedness is being advanced in step with the times, he said.
The Prime Minister emphasised building a domestic defence industry that produces weapons, ammunition and defence equipment inside the country, alongside strengthening integrated defence capability across the army, navy and air force.
On welfare, he said the government is giving priority to housing, medical care, education, training, career development and post-retirement social security for service members. According to his remarks, salaries and allowances for armed forces personnel have been raised by 100 to 138 percent under the national pay scale, and implementation of "one rank, one pension" is in process.
He said protecting national interest, sovereignty and dignity will be the core commitment of tomorrow's Bangladesh, and that the country wants to strengthen friendship and cooperation with all nations on the basis of mutual respect and equality.
What to watch: whether the "one rank, one pension" scheme moves from process to implementation, and how the push for domestic defence manufacturing translates into concrete procurement and production decisions.
