Ensure highest security to VVIPs

She said the coming days will be more challenging for SSF with the changed situation.

Khaleda, also in-charge of Defence Ministry, said this while she was addressing a function marking the 20th founding anniversary of the SSF at the newly built SSF officers' mess-house.

She said on one hand every SSF member will have to be intelligent, creative, innovative, efficient and tactful in carrying out their duties and on the other they will have to be firm but kind and gentle.

She said the SSF members have to remember that the responsibility of maintaining security is now not only a routine work, but also a "routine plus". "This plus part is bringing new

requirement and demand every moment and that will have to be fulfilled," she told the SSF officers at the function.

She said ensuring security is a multidimensional effort and the SSF members, as security personnel, are engaged in maintaining the security of the distinctively important persons. "So you will have to be well-disciplined and have the high qualities of character."

"Your faithfulness, firmness of character and sincerity in performing duties will have to be beyond question," she said, adding that they will always have to remain vigilant and ready to face any emergency and for that they need regular training, perseverance and practice.

Mentioning some qualities and nature of the security force, she also referred to their success in ensuring security during the 13th Saarc Summit in Dhaka.

She said they (SSF) not only earned appreciation of the countrymen but also the praise of the leaders of this region, and thanked them again for their efficiencies.

Appreciating them for their performance and their various steps, Khaleda said the training of SSF is now much more well-organised, well-planned and realistic. They also deserve appreciation for imparting training to other forces involved in security job, she said.

The prime minister hoped that the SSF members would keep up the trend of their professionalism.

Ministers, chiefs of the three services and civil and military high officials attended the function.

SSF Director General Maj Gen Sayed Fatemi Ahmed Roomy in his address of welcome said women will be included in SSF soon as part of development of the force and a process in this regard is underway.

He said the SSF will soon be able to train foreign security personnel as its performance during the last Saarc Summit in Dhaka was appreciated by a number of South Asian leaders and they have shown interest in sharing experiences and training of SSF.

Earlier, Khaleda inaugurated the SSF officers' mess by unveiling its plaque on the north side of PM's Relief Godown at Airport Road at Tejgaon near the old airport.

The four-storied mess building, with north, south and middle blocks, was built on 1.69 acres of land at a cost of Tk 10.40 crore.