Over 5 lakh Ansar-VDP members to be deployed for polls

Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury yesterday advised members of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) to discharge their duties with honesty, sincerity and professionalism to ensure that the 13th national election is held in a free, fair and peaceful manner.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at the passing-out parade of the 41st BCS (Ansar) cadre officers, upazila Ansar-VDP trainers and trainers-in-training, and the 26th and 27th batches of Ansar Battalion trainees at the Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Academy in Shafipur, Gazipur.

The home adviser said 5,55,958 Ansar-VDP members would be deployed at 42,766 polling centres across the country, with 13 members assigned to each centre.

Of the 13, each centre will have three armed members, six unarmed male members and four unarmed female members, he said.

As part of additional security arrangements, one of the three armed members at each centre will remain on duty round the clock with the presiding officer during the election period, he added.

He also said 1,191 Ansar Battalion striking force teams would be deployed nationwide. Each team will consist of 10 members, bringing the total to 11,910, which he said would make the overall election security arrangement more structured and effective.

Earlier, the home adviser inspected the parade, took the salute and distributed awards among four trainees selected as the best in four categories.

The best trainees were Assistant Director Shamim Reza of the 41st BCS Ansar cadre, upazila trainer Sohanur Rahman Russel, Sepoy Md Selim Shahriar of the 26th Ansar Battalion batch and Sepoy Md Maruf Rana of the 27th batch.

A total of 3,237 trainees completed the passing-out parade, the highest number in Ansar history. The trainees included 15 officers of the 41st BCS Ansar cadre, 88 upazila trainers and trainers-in-training, 1,010 members of the 26th Ansar Battalion batch and 2,124 members of the 27th batch.