3 Ansar laws to be merged into a single comprehensive law: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today said the government has taken an initiative to consolidate the three existing laws governing the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force into a single, comprehensive 'Ansar Bahini Act'.

"Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force is currently governed by three separate laws--the Ansar Bahini (Forces) Act, 1995; Ansar Battalion Act, 2023; and The Village Defence Party Act, 1995," he said.

"Replacing the three separate laws with a single, integrated law and framing modern rules under it would strengthen the legal foundation of the force's overall activities and bring greater discipline to its administration and control," he added.

The minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a programme held at the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force auditorium in Khilgaon, Dhaka, where he inaugurated the newly constructed 'Agrojatra Bhaban,' 'Prantik Songjog' service, 'Prantik Shakti,' and a mobile IT training centre.

Referring to plans to establish a modern Ansar headquarters on 3.428 acres of abandoned land in Tejgaon through a lawful transfer process, Salahuddin said the proposed multi-storey facility and modern command centre would enable rapid information sharing with other law-enforcement agencies, central operational monitoring and coordinated strategic planning.

Recalling the historical development of the force, the minister said the philosophy of ensuring national security through public participation, which developed in 1976 along the lines of the 'People's Warfare' doctrine of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, subsequently evolved into the Ansar and VDP's role as one of the country's largest people-oriented security platforms.

He said the institutional foundation of the force was further strengthened during the government of Begum Khaleda Zia through the enactment of three separate laws in 1995 and the conferment of the country's highest civilian honour, the Independence Award, in 2004.

According to the minister, the present government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is advancing modern infrastructure development and integrated legal reform as part of its initiatives for modernising the force.

Highlighting the force's contribution to national security and internal peace and order, Salahuddin said Ansar members have been performing their duties with dedication and professionalism during national elections, religious festivals and at important government installations and places where large public gatherings take place.

The minister also highlighted their role in joint security operations in remote hill and border areas, preventing illegal infiltration, drug trafficking and smuggling, conducting eviction drives, combating crime, rescuing missing children and carrying out anti-broker operations.

Emphasising the importance of transforming the country's unskilled workforce into skilled human resources, the minister said 100,000 TDP volunteers are being brought under modern training and digital management to build a stronger volunteer network.

He added that initiatives including Japanese-language training, the 'Sanjiban' project, digital training, 'Prantik Songjog' and 'Prantik Shakti' would contribute significantly to employment generation at home and abroad, women's empowerment and national economic growth.

The minister further said the newly constructed modern headquarters would enhance the operational capacity of the Ansar and Village Defence Force and strengthen coordination between its central management and grassroots-level operations.

He expressed hope that the centre would emerge as a modern model of public service based on good governance, discipline, professionalism, innovation, accountability and integrity.

The programme was chaired by Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force were also present.