Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said that members of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) will be the most extensively deployed force during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the Ansar Welfare Trust’s Transport Service at the Ansar and VDP headquarters in the capital’s Khilgaon on Tuesday morning, the adviser said, “Ansar members will contribute the most in ensuring election security.”

He informed that 13 Ansar members will be deployed at each polling centre, of whom three will be armed, while the remaining 10—six male and four female—will be unarmed. For the first time, an armed Ansar member will also be stationed with each presiding officer, he added.

The Ansar members will remain on election duty for a total of nine days,” the adviser said, emphasizing that they will play the most crucial role in maintaining peace and order during the polls.

Highlighting the Ansar and VDP’s longstanding contributions, Jahangir Alam said, “The force has always played a vital role in national security, maintaining law and order, and supporting development initiatives. With unwavering dedication, discipline, and patriotism, Ansar members continue to serve the nation, often putting their own lives at risk.”

He noted that ensuring the welfare and quality of life of the force’s members is both a moral duty and a state commitment.

As part of that effort, the Ansar Welfare Trust has procured 31 vehicles with its own funding — including 9 troop carriers, 14 covered vans, 4 large 42-seater buses, 2 minibuses, and 2 ambulances.

The adviser said the newly launched transport service aims to ease travel challenges faced by members during leave, recreation, and other needs, ensuring safe and reliable transportation for all valid ID holders of the force.

In response to journalists’ questions regarding the recovery of illegal firearms, the adviser said, “Weapons are being recovered every day—it’s an ongoing process. Just two days ago, eight firearms were seized.”

He added, “This drive will continue, and as the election approaches, more illegal arms will be recovered. Eventually, there will be no unauthorized weapons left outside.”

Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Major General Abdul Motaleb Sajjad Mahmud and other senior officials of the force were also present at the event.