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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to the Bangladesh Army’s summer field exercise in Manikganj, becoming the first head of government in the country’s history to personally inspect a summer training exercise and spend time with troops in the field.
The prime minister arrived at around 9:20 am in the summer training area of the 8-Bir unit under the 9th Infantry Division in Singair upazila, where he walked across a large section of the exercise ground to observe military drills and operational preparedness.
During the visit, Tarique toured the field base and received briefings from the General Officer Commanding (GOC) and the unit’s Commanding Officer (CO) on the ongoing training programme and operational readiness. He also listened to a commander’s verbal operational order and observed a live raid exercise conducted by army personnel.
The prime minister inspected various aspects of battlefield training, including combat positioning, tactical manoeuvres, weapons handling and other realistic operational drills. He entered army bunkers to interact with officers and soldiers participating in the exercise and discussed battlefield tactics with them.
He also met troops positioned in camouflage among trees, inquired about their duties and encouraged them to maintain professionalism and dedication.
In a rare gesture, the prime minister shared freshly cooked meal with the participating troops and later joined them for tea. Army personnel present on the training ground expressed enthusiasm over spending extended time with the head of government during the exercise.
Addressing the soldiers, Tarique said the people of Bangladesh have deep confidence in the Army and praised its role in safeguarding national security and maintaining law and order during times of crisis.
He stressed the importance of maintaining professional training, discipline and operational readiness, while expressing his best wishes for the continued success of the Bangladesh Army.
Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brig Gen (retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam, Chief of Army Staff Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, Military Secretary to the Prime Minister Maj Gen Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq and other senior army officers accompanied the prime minister during the visit.