No formal joint operation decision, says home minister.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that no formal decision has been taken to launch joint operation in the country describing coordinated activities by the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Ansar are part of the routine law enforcement process.
“There is no formal decision to conduct a joint operation. Coordinated activities by the law enforcement agencies are a regular process, and these are being carried out continuously to curb terrorism, extortion and drugs. Such efforts will be strengthened further in the future,” he said.
The minister made the remarks at a press briefing after unveiling the foundation stone of the new headquarters of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) in Tejgaon area of the capital.
The minister said the government is working to establish a modern and larger headquarters for Ansar and VDP after allocating 3.428 acres of land in Tejgaon for the project.
The new facility is expected to address space constraints and transportation difficulties at the force’s existing headquarters in Khilgaon.
In this connection, he said that around 20,000 battalion Ansars and 60,000 embodied Ansars are currently serving in Bangladesh.
In addition, around 60 lakh trained personnel are associated with the Village Defence Party under approximately 35,000 team leaders, he said.
He also said additional facilities are being developed in Ashulia and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to address accommodation needs for centrally deployed Ansar members.
Lauding the role of Ansar and VDP in maintaining law and order during the July mass uprising and other national crises, the minister reiterated that the forces financial and other demands would be fulfilled in phases.
Regarding members of different law enforcement agencies, he said action is being taken when evidence of negligence of duty or involvement in criminal activities is found.
“It is not only a matter of withdrawal. Appropriate departmental legal action is being taken, and criminal offence cases are also being filed where applicable,” he said.
Referring to the coming December, the minister said, “December is our month of victory; no evil force will be able to create any kind of instability in the country during this month.”
On traffic management in Dhaka, the minister said automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technology have been introduced to improve traffic enforcement.
The system is being used to process cases automatically, while measures are also being taken to restore discipline on the roads.
He further said instructions have been issued to agencies carrying out road excavation and construction work to avoid cutting entire stretches of roads at once.
Instead, work should be completed in sections and the roads restored immediately to help reduce traffic congestion.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manzur Morshed Chowdhury and Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, among others, were present at the briefing.
