The government has undertaken a project to build 40 arsenals for Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP).
The armory will be built to increase the capacity of the village defence party and store weapons and ammunition safely, a Planning Commission official told Bangladesh Post.
The project titled “Arms of Ansar and Village Defence Party” at an estimated cost of Tk 64.67 crore has been proposed to the Planning Commission, he added.
It is learnt that the PEC (Project Evaluation Committee) meeting was held on February 24 this year after receiving a proposal from the Public Security Department, Ministry of Home Affairs.
It has been recommended to present the project proposal at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) as the recommendations given at that meeting have been complied with.
Read more: Bangladeshi-origin Shahana 1st Muslim elected to NYC Council
If approved, it will jointly be implemented by June 2023 by the Ansar and the Village Defence Party and the Department of Public Works.
In this regard, Mamun-al-Rashid, Member (Secretary) of the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission in charge of the project, told Bangladesh Post, that if the arsenal of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party is constructed in the district headquarters through implementation of the project, the arms and ammunition of the force will remain safe. It will also be possible to store and supply ammunition.”
According to the project proposal, Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force is a large voluntary force. The number of members of this force is about six million. The force has a total of 40 battalions including 38 male Ansar and two female Ansar battalions.
Besides, there are 672 female Ansars and 600 Hill Ansars. Each upazila and union has one Ansar platoon and one VDP platoon and each village has two platoons of 64 people including 32 Ansars and 32 women VDP platoons.
The members of this huge force are engaged in maintaining law and order in all elections including the national elections, union council elections, city corporation elections and municipal elections.
Besides, Durga Puja, important KPI organizations of the state, disaster control in metropolitan areas including traffic control, protection of railways, etc. are performed by them very efficiently.
The main activities of the project will be development of 39,787.80 cubic meters of land, construction of 11,414 square meters of non-residential buildings, 40 other buildings and installations, purchase of two vehicles, water supply to 40 arsenals, power supply and other work including afforestation.