The government has taken an initiative to merge the three existing laws governing the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) into a single comprehensive law to strengthen the force’s legal framework and modernise its operations, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Thursday.
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a programme at the Ansar and VDP headquarters in Khilgaon, Dhaka, where he inaugurated the newly constructed Agrojatra Bhaban, Prantik Sangjog service, Prantik Shakti initiative and a mobile IT training centre.
The minister said the force is currently governed by the Ansar Bahini Act 1995, Ansar Battalion Act 2023 and Village Defence Party Act 1995.
“Replacing the multiple laws with a single integrated law and introducing modern regulations under it will strengthen the force’s legal foundation and ensure more disciplined management and control,” he said.
Referring to the planned construction of a modern Ansar headquarters on 3.428 acres of transferred government land in Tejgaon, Ahmed said the facility would include a modern command centre.
The centre would facilitate rapid information exchange with other law enforcement agencies, central operational monitoring and coordinated strategic planning, he said.
Highlighting the Ansar and VDP’s role in national security and public order, the minister said its members regularly provide security during national elections, religious festivals, important state installations and major public gatherings.
He also praised their roles in joint security operations in remote hill and border areas, preventing illegal entry, drug trafficking and smuggling, as well as crime prevention, eviction drives, recovery of missing children and anti-brokerage activities.
The minister also stressed the importance of developing the country’s workforce through skills training.
He said around 100,000 TDP volunteers were being brought under modern training and digital management to build a stronger volunteer network.
He added that Japanese-language training, the Sanjiban project, digital training and initiatives such as Prantik Sangjog and Prantik Shakti would contribute to employment generation, women’s empowerment and economic growth.
Ahmed said the new headquarters would enhance the operational capacity of the Ansar and VDP and strengthen coordination between central management and grassroots-level activities.
He expressed hope that the facility would emerge as a modern model of public service based on good governance, discipline, professionalism, innovation, accountability and integrity.
Ansar and VDP Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, PSC, presided over the programme. Senior officials from the Home Ministry and Ansar and VDP were also present.
