| Bangladesh Ansar বাংলাদেশ আনসার | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Common name | Ansar Bahini |
| Motto | শান্তি শৃঙ্খলা উন্নয়ন নিরাপত্তায় সর্বত্র আমরা We are everywhere in peace, order, development and security |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 12 February 1948 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Employees | 6.4 million[1] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Bangladesh |
| Operations jurisdiction | Bangladesh |
| Governing body | Government of Bangladesh |
| General nature | |
| Specialist jurisdictions |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Khilgaon,Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executives | |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Functions | 6
|
| Facilities | |
| Battalions | 42 |
| Notables | |
| Significant Battles | |
| Anniversary |
|
| Award | |
| Website | |
| ansarvdp | |
| Service uniform: Rich Olive Combat uniform: Ansar Battalion: Olive, Dark Blue, Earth yellow, Black Ansar: Olive, Black VDP: Maroon, Black | |
TheBangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (Bengali:বাংলাদেশ আনসার ও গ্রাম প্রতিরক্ষা বাহিনী), also known asAnsar VDP, is a paramilitaryauxiliary force responsible for the preservation ofinternal security andlaw enforcement in Bangladesh.[2][3] It is administered by theMinistry of Home Affairs of thegovernment of Bangladesh.[4][5] It has 6 million active and reserved members. It is the largestparamilitary force in the world.[1]
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The name originates from the Arabic word of "Ansar" which denotes a "volunteer". The Ansar were the local inhabitants ofMedina who, in Islamic tradition, took the Islamic prophetMuhammad and his followers (theMuhajirun) into their homes when they emigrated fromMecca during thehijra.[4][5]
The Ansar Force was formed as the "East Pakistan Ansars" by the East Pakistan Ansars Act of 1948, and officially launched on 12 February 1948.[5] The first director of the Ansar was James Buchanan, a British official appointed by the government of then-Chief Minister of East BengalKhawaja Nazimuddin.[5] The force was placed under the administration of the home ministry of the province ofEast Bengal (later known asEast Pakistan).
The emphasis was on recruiting in border areas, where Ansars were deployed to interdict smuggling and prevent emigrants from taking valuables out of the country illegally.[2] The force grew quickly. By early 1949, there were 118,000 Ansars. During theIndo-Pakistani war of 1965,the then East Pakistan Ansar was deployed to the border along with theEast Pakistan Rifles to support thePakistan Army in defending the border.[5][2]
During theBangladesh Independence War of 1971, 40,000 Ansars joined theBangladesh Forces and joined theguerrillas and assisted the Bengali members of theEast Pakistan Police to fight against thePakistan Army.[5][2][6][7][8][9] 12 Ansar members presented aguard of honour to the Bangladesh government in exile at 8 Theatre road on 17 April 1971.[10][2][6] As a result, the Ansar were disbanded by the government of Pakistan.[10] A newparamilitary force was then established, the now infamousRazakar militia.[11][12]
After theindependence of Bangladesh, the force was reconstituted as the Bangladesh Ansar. The Ansar were given fresh importance by the government of PresidentZiaur Rahman, which designated the Ansar as the "people's defence force" and formed Ansar battalions.[13]
In 1976, 20 Ansar battalions were raised in line with theArmed Police Battalion to augment the strength of the security forces.[2] At present, there are 38 male and 2 female Ansar battalions deployed all over the country. Battalion Ansars are mainly deployed inChittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) forCounter Insurgency Operations (CIO), especiallyOperation Uttaran and south-western region of the country for Counter Terrorism Operations.[3][10][2]
In 1994, amutiny against low pay and unfair treatment was suppressed by theBangladesh Rifles.[14][15] This prompted a series of reforms by successive governments including theAnsar Bahini Act (1995), Battalion Ansar Act (1995) and the Village Defence Party Act (1995).[2] Under these Acts, the Ansar Bahini and the Battalion Ansars were declared as a "Disciplined Force" in accordance with article 152 of theConstitution.[2] The government also set up "Ansar VDP Unnayan Bank" where the members of Ansar-VDP members were entitled to loans and shares.[2][10]
In 1998, Bangladesh Ansar andVDP were awarded the National Standard, and in 2004, it was awarded theIndependence Award.[10] The service of battalion Ansars was under National Pay Scale in October 2008, and they were entitled to family rations and combat uniform.[5] In 2006, the role of Ansar-VDP was expanded to fight rising militancy.[3] In 2016, the Ansar Striking Force, a 300 strong elite unit, was created to provide security to diplomats.[16]
Following thefall of Hasina government, a faction of Ansar members began protesting, demanding the nationalisation of their jobs and the abolition of the six-month "Rest System," among other benefits.[17] Their demonstrations caused severe traffic congestion across the capital, leading to significant public inconvenience.[18]
On 25 August, theHome Affairs Advisor, RetiredLt. Gen. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, met with the protesting Ansar members. He announced a preliminary decision to abolish the controversial six-month "Rest System" and assured that the demand for nationalisation would be reviewed based on an upcoming committee report.[19][20]
Tensions escalated when Ansar members reportedly trapped two coordinators of theAnti-discrimination Students Movement,Hasnat Abdullah andSarjis Alam, along with other officials, includingInformation and Communications Technology adviserNahid Islam, inside theSecretariat.[21]
Earlier that day, Hasnat Abdullah had accused the Ansar members of holding them captive and called for support on social media.[22] The situation worsened when Ansar members forced their way into the Secretariat, chanting slogans and demanding that their demands be met.[23]
Around 9 PM, a group of students marched fromDhaka University TSC to the Secretariat to rescue them but were met with a barrage of bricks and stones from the Ansar members, resulting in numerous injuries on both sides, including Hasnat Abdullah.[24][25]
The stated missions of Ansar are:
The members of Ansar also participate in education expansion programs,tree plantation, population control, women's empowerment, and sanitation activities.[3][27]
Commissioned Officers.jpg)
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh Ansar | Chief Commandant/Director General | Additional Chief Commandant/Additional Director General | Deputy Director General/Range Commander | Senior Director/Range Director (In Completion of 20 years of Service in Ansar Cadre) | Director (Jr Scale)/Senior Deputy Director/Range Second-in-Command | Deputy Director/District Commandant/Commanding Officer | Senior Assistant Director/Second-in-Command | Assistant Director/Assistant District Commandant/Second-in-Command | ||
 Police equivalent | Additional Inspector General of police | Deputy Inspector General of Police | Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police | Superintendent of Police | Additional Superintendent of Police | Deputy Superintendent of Police | Assistant Superintendent of Police | |||
 Army equivalent | Major General | Brigadier General | Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Major (More than 12 years of Commissioned Service) | Major (Up to 12 years of Commissioned Service) | Captain | Lieutenant | ||
At present, there are three branches of Ansar Bahini; the General Ansar, the Battalion Ansar, and theVillage Defence Party (VDP). Their combined draw is over 6 million, which is the largest force in the world as a paramilitary or single force.[28]
The Ansar is headed by a director-general, who also heads theVillage Defence Party (VDP).[29]
Director General of Bangladesh Ansar, also known as Ansar and VDP Chief, is the professional head of the Bangladesh Ansar. The current DG isMajor GeneralAbdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud.[5]
The Director General functions from the Bangladesh Ansar Headquarters, which is located in theKhilgaon,Dhaka.[28]
The headquarters of the Ansar is located inKhilgaon,Dhaka and the training facilities are located at the Bangladesh Ansar & VDP Academy in Shafipur,Gazipur, north of the national capital, Dhaka.[3][13]
| Name | Image | Caliber | Type | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escort MP-PG | 12-gauge | Pump action shotgun |  Turkey | 14,100[30][31][32] | |
| Benelli Supernova |  | 12-gauge | Pump action shotgun |  Italy | 1,800[30][31][32] |
| Unknown model | 12-gauge | Semi-automatic shotgun |  United Kingdom | 14,100[30][31][32] |
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. Country Studies.Federal Research Division.
