Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday inaugurated Banganbandhu Cantonment on the eastern side of Bangabandhu Bridge in Tangail.
She also unveiled the mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the main gate of the new cantonment and plaque of the headquarters of 98 composite brigade, officers mess complex, and residential buildings for families
of officers, junior commissioned officers and soldiers.
The prime minister was accompanied by the chief of army staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and other senior army officers.
Earlier, the prime minister attended the passing out ceremony of first ever recruited of 878 women military paramedics recruit soldiers in the medical core and took salute from them as chief guest on the premises of Army Medical Corps Centre and School at Shaheed Salauddin Cantonment at Ghatail in Tangail.
Cabinet members, chiefs of army, navy and air force, lawmakers, diplomats, senior officers of law enforcement agencies, and guardians of recruited women soldiers were present on the occasion.
Addressing the passing out ceremony, the prime minister said participation of women in challenging professions like army would help further empowerment of women in Bangladesh.
She said the government decided to recruit women soldiers in other corps of the army to implement the Forces Goal-2030.
Hasina said health and family welfare ministry allowed the Army Medical Corps Centre and School to run the diploma in medical and health technology on September 18, 2013 to help strengthening and accelerating the medical services of Bangladesh Army.
She recalled the contribution of women to the war of liberation and the contribution of Begum Rokeya in the education and said the women folk of Bangladesh was no more lagging behind compared with other nations.
The prime minister said as women were half of the population, ultimate achievement was not possible in any sector without their spontaneous participation.
She said her government had started recruiting women officers in several corps of Bangladesh Army besides the medical corps in 2000.
The prime minister also asked the women soldiers to work for maintaining professional excellence.
Memory Hasan and Shantana Rani Mondal were selected as the first and the second best recruit of the women soldiers.
Source: New Age