CA for Armed Forces' efficient role to ensure smooth, festive polls
Terming the upcoming national polls a crucial chapter in Bangladesh’s democratic transition, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today expressed the hope that the members of the Armed Forces would perform their duties with utmost efficiency and professionalism to make the elections smooth and festive.
“The upcoming election will be regarded as an important chapter in Bangladesh’s democratic transition. I firmly believe that the elections will be held in a seamless and festive manner. To arrange this election, members of the Armed will discharge their responsibilities with professionalism and expertise,” he said.
The Chief Adviser made the remarks while addressing a reception at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment, on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day-2025.
Recalling the contribution of the armed forces, Prof Yunus said since the independence of the country, the armed forces hahe been working, standing by the people, in nation building and tackling disasters alongside protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty.
“The armed forces, as always, are continuously reciprocating the trust of the country’s citizens by standing by the people during the 2024 student-people uprising and in the ongoing state reconstruction and reform efforts,” he said.
“I believe that the Bangladesh Armed Forces, loyal to democratic and disciplined leadership, will maintain this continuity of sacrifice and activity for the country with a combination of their professional skills and patriotism,” the Chief Adviser added.
At the beginning of his speech, Prof Yunus profoundly recalled and paid tributes to all the martyrs, wounded and valiant freedom fighters of the great Liberation War and also the martyrs, injured and participants of the 2024 July–August student-people’s uprising.
He also expressed profound shock and sorrow at the deaths and injuries in house collapses and other incidents triggered by a powerful earthquake in several districts across the country today.
Recalling the formation of the Bangladesh Armed Forces on the battlefield in 1971, he said after the atrocities carried out by the Pakistani occupation forces on March 25 in 1971, the then Major and later President Ziaur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh on March 27 from Chittagong’s Kalurghat Betar Kendra.
He noted that on 21 November 1971, the Army, Navy and Air Force launched joint operations against occupation forces — a milestone now commemorated every year as Armed Forces Day.
In continuation of that, the Chief Adviser said, on November 21, the army, navy and air force jointly started fighting against the Pakistani forces. “Therefore, November 21 is celebrated with pride as a milestone in the Liberation War,” he added.
He emphasised that had victory not been achieved, “these brave soldiers would have faced certain death and their families unbearable sufferings.”
Prof Yunus praised the courage of members of army, navy and air force who without regard for their lives or their families’ futures, jumped into the war, inspiring civilians to join the resistance by land, river and air.
He described how the Bangladesh Forces were organised into 11 sectors, providing both military and guerrilla training to freedom fighters from across the country, culminating in the historic joint operations on November 21 in 1971, which led directly to victory on December 16.
“The contribution of our armed forces in the 1971 Liberation War will be written in golden letters in the history of Bangladesh,” the Chief Adviser said.