Masbahuddin Khan: Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that no formal decision has been taken to launch any “joint operation” in the country, clarifying that coordinated activities involving the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Special Reserve Force (SRF) and Ansar are part of a regular law-enforcement process.
He said such coordinated operations are being conducted regularly to combat terrorism, extortion and drug-related activities and will be strengthened further in the future.
The Home Minister made the remarks on 01October, 2026 Thursday morning while speaking to journalists after unveiling the foundation plaque for the construction of the new headquarters of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (AnsarVDP) in the Tejgaon area of the capital.
Referring to the new headquarters project, Salahuddin Ahmed said the long-standing aspiration of AnsarVDP to have its own modern headquarters at a planned and suitable location is finally being fulfilled. The Public Works Ministry has allocated 3.428 acres of land—approximately 11 bighas—for the construction of the headquarters.
He said the existing Ansar headquarters in Khilgaon is facing space constraints and transportation limitations. A modern and larger infrastructure will therefore be developed at the new location to address these challenges.
Highlighting the strength and contribution of the Ansar force, the minister said Bangladesh currently has around 20,000 battalion Ansar members and 60,000 embodied Ansar personnel. In addition, nearly six million trained members are working under approximately 35,000 Village Defence Party (VDP) team leaders.
“Considering both regular and irregular personnel, Ansar is the largest force in the country,” he said.
The minister added that additional facilities are being developed in Ashulia and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to address accommodation shortages for Ansar personnel assigned to central duties, including dormitory and barrack facilities.
Salahuddin Ahmed praised the contribution of Ansar personnel during the July mass uprising, as well as during various national crises and efforts to maintain law and order. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to gradually addressing the force’s financial and other legitimate demands.
On disciplinary measures within law-enforcement agencies, the Home Minister said that if evidence of negligence of duty or involvement in criminal activities is found against any member, authorities are taking appropriate departmental and legal action rather than merely withdrawing the individual from duty.
“December is our month of victory. No evil force will be able to create any kind of instability in the country during this month,” he said.
Regarding traffic management in Dhaka, the minister said automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has already been introduced to improve traffic management. The system is enabling traffic cases to be processed automatically and is expected to bring greater discipline to road traffic.
He also said instructions have been issued to ensure that road excavation and construction activities do not create unnecessary congestion. Instead of cutting an entire road at once, work should be carried out in sections and the roads should be restored immediately after completion of each phase.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs ManzurMorshedChowdhury and Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party Major General Abdul MotalebSazzad Mahmud, PSC, among others, were present at the press briefing.