The Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force (Ansar-VDP) has taken a major step towards expanding overseas employment opportunities for its members with the opening of a modern technical training centre and the handover of a government recruiting licence to its affiliated organisation, Prantik Shakti Limited.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, MP, inaugurated the Prantik Shakti Training Centre (PSTC) and formally handed over the recruiting licence at a ceremony held at the Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Academy in Shafipur, Gazipur, on Wednesday.
The minister also inaugurated Prantik Travels, a digital facial attendance system and other initiatives aimed at facilitating overseas employment and improving services for the force's members. The event was chaired by Ansar-VDP Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud.
During his visit, the minister inspected several training facilities, including a 6G welding workshop, a modern driving simulator, solar energy training facilities, a mobile ICT training bus, a cottage industries training centre, a Japanese language training centre and laboratory, and hospitality and culinary training facilities.
He praised the modern infrastructure and international-standard training arrangements designed to develop a skilled workforce for the global labour market.
In his welcome address, Major General Sazzad Mahmud said overseas employment had been prioritised to improve the livelihoods of the force's 6 million members.
He said training capacity had been modernised under the government's 180-day programme, adding that Ansar-VDP was preparing skilled workers to tap potential employment opportunities in Japan.
He noted that agreements with leading Japanese companies were at an advanced stage and that the force was ready to supply trained workers to meet potential demand for around 200,000 jobs linked to the prime minister's visit to Japan.
The director general stressed the importance of skills development and compliance in building confidence in international labour markets. He proposed coordinated efforts between the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and Ansar-VDP's grassroots network, alongside the country's 104 Technical Training Centres (TTCs).
He said a newly launched digital database would be linked with BMET to improve transparency, while a customer relationship management (CRM) platform would provide continuous services and security assistance to members working abroad.
Addressing the event, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said Ansar-VDP's training initiatives would become important partners in implementing the prime minister's plan to send skilled workers overseas.
He expressed confidence that the recruiting licence would make the force's overseas employment activities more institutionalised, dynamic and effective.
The minister also said initiatives would be taken to operate Ansar-VDP training programmes in coordination with TTCs. He emphasised that workers seeking overseas employment must possess the necessary skills and follow all legal procedures.
The initiatives are expected to help Ansar-VDP members access legal and safer overseas employment opportunities through technical, technological and language training tailored to international market demand.
The recruiting licence is also expected to support efforts to prevent exploitation by intermediaries and strengthen Bangladesh's reputation in the global labour market.
Alongside the training and recruitment initiatives, the Ansar-VDP Development Bank's low-cost overseas employment loans, Prantik Travels and the digital facial attendance system are intended to make migration procedures more accessible, transparent and secure.
Japanese company representatives participating in agreements with the Avi Welfare Trust joined the programme virtually and shared their views on skills development and opportunities for bilateral cooperation.
The event was attended by Gazipur-1 lawmaker Md Mujibur Rahman, the secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ansar-VDP Additional Director General Brigadier General Mamunur Rashid, Academy Commandant and Additional Director General Md Saifullah Russell, and other invited guests.
The programme concluded with the presentation of a commemorative memento to the chief guest, followed by a cultural performance and luncheon.
