Published: 11:17 PM, 02 October 2026
New headquarters heralds new chapter in modernisation of Ansar-VDP
The unveiling of the foundation plaque for the new headquarters of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force (Ansar-VDP) in Tejgaon, along with the inauguration of several new initiatives, is expected to mark a new chapter in the force's modernisation, institutional capacity-building, and development of the skills and welfare of its members.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, MP, unveiled the foundation plaque of the new headquarters in Tejgaon and inspected the existing headquarters in Khilgaon. Later, he inaugurated the newly constructed Agrojatra Bhaban, Prantik Sangjog service, Prantik Shakti, and the Mobile IT Training Centre at the Khilgaon headquarters, according to a press release.
Speaking as the chief guest at the programme held on Thursday, the Home Minister said the initiatives would play an important role in making the force, which has around 6 million members, more dynamic and effective through the integration of modern infrastructure, technology, skills development and welfare-oriented programmes.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Monzur Morshed Chowdhury, Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, and officers and members of the force at various levels were present at the event.
The chief guest said the new headquarters, to be established on nearly 11 bighas of land in Tejgaon, would be an important milestone in the modernisation of the force and the enhancement of its institutional capacity. He said it would play a significant role in modern administrative management, central operations monitoring, rapid information exchange, strategic planning, and coordinated activities with other law-enforcement agencies. He also expressed hope that the new facility would create opportunities for expanding accommodation facilities for members in the future.
Referring to plans to further strengthen the activities of Ansar Battalion members as part of an integrated approach to maintaining law and order, the Home Minister said they would work in coordination with other forces to combat extortion, control drugs and ensure public safety. He said such activities were part of the government's ongoing efforts to maintain law and order against any forces seeking to disrupt peace and stability in the country. He emphasised the need to perform duties professionally while respecting the law and human rights.
Highlighting the force's historical development, he said that Ansar-VDP had evolved into one of the country's largest community-based security platforms, continuing the vision of ensuring national security through public participation under the People's Warfare Doctrine of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.
He said the institutional and legal foundation of the force was strengthened in 1995 during the government of the late Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia through the enactment of the Ansar Act, Battalion Ansar Act and Village Defence Party Act. He also said there was a need to formulate a modern and integrated law by consolidating the three existing laws to make the force's activities more contemporary, coordinated and effective.
On women's empowerment and non-discriminatory employment opportunities, the Home Minister said Japanese-language training, digital training, creation of small entrepreneurs and the Sanjiban project were playing an effective role in creating employment opportunities for women in Japan and enhancing the skills and socioeconomic capacity of members. He described the digitalisation of the Ansar-VDP Development Bank as another important step toward member welfare.
He also termed timely the initiative to train 100,000 TDP volunteers and bring them under a digital management system to establish a skilled volunteer network for disaster response, rescue operations and public safety.
The Home Minister said the new headquarters would further strengthen coordination between central management and grassroots-level operations. As a modern command centre, it would contribute to monitoring field-level situations, rapid communication, operational coordination and strategic planning.
At the same time, initiatives such as Prantik Sangjog, Prantik Shakti, the Mobile IT Training Centre and the Sanjiban project would contribute to enhancing the skills, employment opportunities and socioeconomic capacity of members and marginalised communities, he said.
The Home Minister said the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force must be developed into a more modern, skilled and dynamic force through a combination of infrastructure development, technology-driven management and people-oriented programmes.
He said the new headquarters and the initiatives inaugurated on the occasion would further accelerate this progress. These measures would enhance the force's capacity to maintain public safety and law and order while also expanding opportunities for skills development, employment and socioeconomic advancement for its members and marginalised communities.
He expressed the expectation that, by upholding the principles of discipline, professionalism, accountability, integrity and public service, the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force would emerge as an even stronger and more people-oriented institution in the future.
