Over 5.5 lakh Ansar men to be deployed in upcoming election: Home Adviser

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury urged members of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) to carry out their responsibilities with utmost honesty, dedication, and professionalism to guarantee that the upcoming 13th National Parliament election is conducted in a free, fair, peaceful, and impartial way.

He delivered these remarks today while addressing the passing-out parade of the 41st BCS (Ansar) cadre officers, Upazila Ansar-VDP instructors, and the 26th and 27th batches of Ansar Battalion members at the Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Academy in Shafipur, Gazipur.

The adviser announced that a total of 555,958 Ansar-VDP members will be deployed across 42,766 polling stations nationwide for the election. Each polling centre will have 13 members assigned: three armed, six unarmed male, and four unarmed female personnel.

As an enhanced security measure, one armed Ansar member will remain on duty around the clock alongside the presiding officer at every polling station. Additionally, 1,191 Ansar Battalion striking force teams—comprising 11,910 members (10 per team)—will be deployed countrywide to bolster overall election security.

He strictly instructed Ansar members to refrain from any immoral, biased, or irresponsible behaviour that could interfere with or influence the electoral process.

The Home Adviser noted that since August 2025, the Ansar-VDP has undertaken coordinated and strategic preparations to foster a festive and peaceful election atmosphere. Under the updated training policy, basic training has been provided to approximately 56,000 Upazila/Thana Company Ansars, 255,000 VDP and TDP members, and more than 3,000 Ansar Battalion members. Furthermore, around 450,000 members have been registered via the STDMS software for election duties.

Emphasizing integrity, he described corruption as the greatest enemy of the state, as it undermines institutions and erodes public trust. He called on the newly trained members to embark on their careers free from corruption, guided by strong ethics, honesty, efficiency, humanity, and a commitment to public service.

The adviser highlighted that the interim government has implemented timely initiatives for accountability through digital systems, professional development, welfare programs, training enhancements, and infrastructure improvements. He expressed confidence that these steps would help evolve Ansar and VDP into the nation's largest disciplined force.

He also referenced the launch of the 'Sanjeeban' project, aimed at the socio-economic upliftment of grassroots Ansar-VDP members, and praised the vital contributions of institutions such as the Ansar-VDP Welfare Trust, Ansar-VDP Unnayan Bank, and Ansar-VDP Cooperative in enhancing the quality of life for members and the broader community.

Earlier in the event, the Home Adviser inspected the parade, received the salute, and awarded prizes to the top-performing trainees. The best smart trainees recognized were: Assistant Director Shamim Reza from the 41st BCS Ansar Cadre, Upazila Trainer Sohanur Rahman Russell, Sepoy Md. Selim Shahriar from the 26th batch, and Sepoy Md Maruf Rana from the 27th batch.

This year's passing-out parade featured a record 3,237 trainees—the highest in Ansar history—including 15 officers from the 41st BCS Ansar Cadre, 88 Upazila Trainers, 1,100 members from the 26th Ansar Battalion, and 2,124 from the 27th Ansar Battalion.