The fifth phase of refresher training for members of Bangladesh Ansar, APC and PC has been successfully completed at the Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Academy in Safipur, Gazipur.
Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud said the skills gained through this programme would add a new dimension to the protection of the nation’s key installations.
Speaking as chief guest at the closing ceremony on Saturday, the Director General emphasised that the training is aimed not only at strengthening numbers but also at improving the quality of security services.
He recalled the Ansar force’s remarkable contributions to the Language Movement and the Liberation War, noting that since its establishment in 1948, the force has worked from rural villages to urban wards to uphold national security and socio-economic development.
Outlining the force’s four structural pillars—VDP/TDP, Upazila/Thana Ansar, Embodied Ansar and Battalion Ansar—he explained that each plays a vital role. Battalion Ansar serve alongside the armed forces in safeguarding sovereignty, whilst Embodied Ansar ensure security at key points (KPIs) across public and private institutions. Upazila Ansar support internal security, while VDP/TDP members contribute to social awareness, drug prevention and counter-terrorism at the grassroots level.
The refresher course, held from August 10–23, trained 1,160 members, of whom 1,136 successfully completed the programme. Training included physical fitness, weapons handling, discipline, law and order control, social awareness, protection of women and children, and counter-extremism.
Recalling the force’s decisive role during the August 5 unrest, the Director General said Ansar members worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the armed forces to protect society.
“No unskilled member will find a place in this force. Ansar will be modernised through training to meet the demands of a new Bangladesh and global challenges,” he said.
Certificates were distributed among participants at the closing ceremony, with Toriqul Islam, Md Barik and Mainul Islam receiving special awards.
Senior officials, including Additional Director General Brigadier General Fida Mahmud, were also present.
