I will die if isolated from masses: PM Hasina tells SSF

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the members of Special Security Force (SSF) not to alienate her from the people as they are her strength.

“If I become isolated from the people, I won’t need to be shot dead. I would die already. They (the people) are the spirit of my life,” she said.

She came up with this remark while addressing a special darbar (gathering) arranged at her office, marking the 37th founding anniversary of the Special Security Force (SSF).

She said she does politics for the people and works with them. “I’ve no other strength except the people. I move on with the power of people,” she added.

“So, you will have to pay attention so that I won’t be isolated,” she said, adding that it needs to deal with these matters sensibly.

The PM said when she was not in power, her party’s men, common people and the people of the country were beside her. “You’ll have to keep it in mind,” she added.

At this time, she cited that a very ordinary person, rickshaw-puller purchased a piece of land in her name with his hard earned money. She then built a house on the land for his family.

Appreciating the SSF personnel, the PM said every member of the force has always been performing the duty properly maintaining utmost professionalism, competency, loyalty, honesty and sincerity.

She said even the foreign VVIP guests before leaving Bangladesh highly praise the SSF for their duty, which is a matter of pride. “I really feel proud of it,” she said.

The premier asked the SSF personnel to prepare themselves properly equipped with firmness, utmost discipline, honesty, responsibility and human qualities in a bid to perform their duty.

“You won’t gain success unless you don’t have firmness, honesty and dutifulness in performing the duty regularly,” she said.

Citing that she came under attacks on many occasions, Hasina said her party’s many leaders and workers lost their lives in these attacks.

During the August 21 grenade attack in 2004, her party men protected her by creating a human shield, but her party’s 22 leaders and activists including Ivy Rahman were killed, she noted.

The PM said she always thinks about the safety of the SSF personnel as those who are engaged in providing her security as their lives are also at risk.

Citing that her government has already made a Digital Bangladesh, she said now they are working to transform it into a Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

“As long as I breathe, it will be my only endeavor so that I can further improve the living standard of the people of Bangladesh,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said she has been taking Bangladesh forward overcoming hundreds of obstacles.

“Now we move with dignity at home and abroad and this dignity will have to be upheld,” she said.

PM‍‍`s Security Affairs Adviser Major General (retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and PM‍‍`s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, were present on the dais.

Drector General of Special Security Force Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan delivered a welcome speech.

On June 15, 1986, the Presidential Security Force (PSF) was formed, which was later renamed as Special Security Force (SSF) in 1991 following the restoration of the parliamentary government system in the country.

Now the primary function of the elite force is to protect the president, the prime minister and other VIPs, though the force was originally intended to “provide physical security,” to the president and other VIPs, including any head of state or government or any person declared to be a VIP by the government.