She was addressing the soldiers at a 'darbar' in Maghida Cantonment here on the occasion of flag raising ceremony of the newly raised 26th Infantry Brigade and foundation of the brigade headquarters.

The new 26th Infantry Brigade gave a full shape to the 11 Infantry Division, one of the seven divisions of the Bangladesh Army. The 11 Infantry Division was raised with one armoured, one artillery and two infantry brigades in 1976 by late president Ziaur Rahman.

The prime minister said the 26th Infantry Brigade is one of three infantry brigades raised by the present government.

Khaleda in her speech lauded the role of the armed forces in various social-welfare activities apart from their duty of safeguarding country's independence and sovereignty.

"Their roles in disaster management, relief operation, embankment building and making houses for the rootless are laudable," she said.

Khaleda, who is also in the charge of defence ministry, appreciated the role of Bangladeshi troops in different peacekeeping missions abroad by saying, "The role of the armed forces in UN peacekeeping missions has brightened the image of the country."

GOC of the 11 Infantry Division Maj General Fazle Elahi Akbar also spoke on the occasion, while Chief of Army Staff Lt General Hasan Mashhud Chowhdury was present on the dais.

State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Maj (Retd) M Kamrul Islam, local members of parliament, Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Shah Iqbal Murtaja, Air Force Chief Air Vice Marshall Fakhrul Azam, Defence Secretary KM Ehsanul Huq and senior military officers also attended the ceremony.

Earlier on arrival at Maghida Cantonment, the prime minister drove in a motorcade to the parade ground to raise the flag of the new 26 Infantry Brigade.

She laid the foundation stone of a two-storied headquarters building of the new brigade and planted a sapling.