Staff Correspondent

 Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed MP on Thursday unveiled the inaugural plaque for the new headquarters of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) in Tejgaon and inspected the existing headquarters in Khilgaon, signaling a major step forward in the force's modernization and institutional capacity building.

During his visit to the Khilgaon Headquarters, the Home Minister inaugurated several newly -developed facilities, including the 'Agrajatra Bhaban,' the 'Prantik Songjog' service, 'Prantik Shakti,' and a mobile IT training center.

Speaking as the chief guest, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said  that these initiatives will play a pivotal role in making the nearly 60-lakh-member force more dynamic, efficient, and technologically equipped. 

He noted that the new headquarters, situated on nearly 11 bighas of land in Tejgaon, will serve as a modern administrative hub, enhancing central operational monitoring, rapid information exchange, strategic planning, and inter-agency coordination, while also paving the way for future housing expansion.

Emphasizing law and order, the minister announced that Ansar Battalion operations will be strengthened to combat extortion and drug trafficking, and to safeguard public security in coordination with other law enforcement agencies. He urged force members to discharge their duties with professionalism while upholding the law and human rights.

Highlighting the historical development of the force, the minister recalled that the foundation of national security through public engagement was laid under the vision of former President Ziaur Rahman. He further added that the legal framework of the force was solidified during the tenure of late Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia with the enactment of the Ansar Force Act, Battalion Ansar Act, and Village Defence Party Act in 1995. He stressed the current need to unify and modernize these three statutes into a single comprehensive law.

The minister also highlighted initiatives aimed at women's empowerment and socioeconomic development, including Japanese language training for overseas employment in Japan, digital skills programs, micro-entrepreneurship creation, and the 'Sanjiban' project.

Besides,  he praised the digitization of the Ansar-VDP Unnayan Bank and ongoing efforts to train and digitally integrate 100,000 VDP volunteers for disaster response and public safety.

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Monjur Morshed Chowdhury, Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, along with senior officials and force members, were present at the ceremony.