As the threat of war has increased drastically in the current world, being unprepared is suicidal, said Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government. He made these remarks after observing the annual exercise of the Bangladesh Air Force at Dhaka Cantonment on Wednesday.

After the exercise organized at the Bir Uttam AK Khandaker base of the Air Force, the chief advisor said, “I am personally an anti-war person. No one wants war. But we live in a world where there is a constant threat of war. In this reality, not being prepared for war means making a suicidal decision.”

Dr. Yunus further said, “War preparations can often lead to war—this fear is not unfounded. But the surrounding situation is such that it is not possible to remain without preparation. There are such examples around us—such as the example of the war situation between India and Pakistan. I heard in the morning news that maybe the war could start today. When standing in such a fragile situation, there is no alternative to full preparation.”

He said, “No half measures work in war preparations. Victory is the only option here. Defeat cannot be an option. We have to prepare at the highest level.”

Regarding the exercise, he said, “I really enjoyed watching today’s exercise. We usually see such realistic training in movies. Today, I saw in reality how our children are preparing to defend the country. This not only increases the courage to fight, but also the confidence to face extreme crises.”

The chief advisor said, “The Air Force has now reached international standards. They have become self-reliant by using indigenous technology. The government is providing all-out support for their technical and technological development. The Air Force will have to move forward to maintain its professional skills.”

He also said that the government will continue its efforts to build a modern air force to protect the country’s sovereignty.

Also expressing concern about the economic situation, Dr. Yunus said, “Our economy is in a weak state. There was looting due to the mismanagement of the previous government. As a result, we have many challenges ahead of us. We have to determine an overall strategy to face these challenges. We have to move forward on the path of peace, but we also have to be prepared.”