tangent line: On the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Independence, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the conclusion of the multinational military exercise ‘Shanti Agrasen’ held at Bangabandhu Cantonment in Tangail.

On the morning of Monday (12 April), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially announced the end of practice via video teleconference (VTC) as the chief guest.

On the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Independence, this multinational exercise was organized by enhancing Bangabandhu’s philosophy of peace in the establishment of world peace.

The main objective of the exercise was to enhance the capabilities of peacekeepers of countries participating in UN peacekeeping operations. In this exercise, various important issues related to military operations are discussed and competitions are organized by experts.

State-of-the-art weapons and military gazettes used by the Bangladesh Army in UN peacekeeping operations were displayed at the event. In addition, various activities of women members of the Bangladesh Army were highlighted in UN peacekeeping operations.

A total of 123 military personnel, including 30 from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka and 33 from Bhutan, participated in the multinational exercise. A total of 12 observers from the United States, France, Nepal, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan were also present at the exercise.

At the beginning of his concluding remarks, the Prime Minister paid a deep tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. At the same time, he deeply respects the millions of martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the great freedom struggle and all the brave freedom fighters whose sacrifices have made us an independent country.

He said that with the spread and advancement of technology in the current world, state and non-state forces have emerged as a new level of challenge in establishing world peace. The Prime Minister emphasized on equipping peacekeepers with appropriate training and equipment to meet this challenge. He hoped that this practical exercise would be particularly helpful for future peacekeepers in making appropriate decisions in current situations in UN peacekeeping operations. He said that Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training (BIPSOT) is playing a commendable role in providing timely training to a large number of peacekeepers at home and abroad.

He heartily congratulated the participants of the friendly country for making the practice ‘Pioneer of Peace’ successful by participating with enthusiasm and enthusiasm.

The Prime Minister thanked Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed for organizing the event to successfully organize the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Independence. He expressed his gratitude to all the distinguished guests at home and abroad. Finally, thanking everyone, the Prime Minister announced the end of ‘Practice Peace Leading’.

The concluding ceremony was attended by Chief Deputy Chiefs of the Indian Army, Bhutan Army, Central African Republic, Mali and South Sudan, United Nations and Air Force Chiefs and other local and foreign dignitaries deployed in UN peacekeeping operations.

Bangladesh Time: 1932 hours, 12 April, 2021
R.A.