Published : 01 Oct 2026, 02:00 PM
Updated : 01 Oct 2026, 02:00 PM
No “evil force” will be able to create unrest in December, says Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.
He made the remarks at a press briefing after unveiling the foundation plaque for the construction of the new headquarters of the Ansar-VDP in Dhaka’s Tejgaon area.
There has been speculation that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina may return to the country in December.
Without directly referring to the issue, journalists asked the minister about reports of possible instability in December and various statements being made about it.
The home minister said, “You keep talking about December. December is our month of victory. I do not believe that any evil force will be able to create disorder in December.”
Journalists also asked whether there were plans for joint operations to maintain control over the current law and order situation.
Rejecting the idea that any formal decision had been taken on joint operations, he said: “There has been no formal decision to conduct joint operations in the country. Coordinated activities by the police, BGB, SRB and Ansar forces are a regular process, and these activities are being carried out continuously to combat violence, extortion and drugs.”
He emphasised that these operations would be intensified in the future.
Asked about reports that some members of the police force were maintaining contact with people from the previous regime, and whether lists were being prepared while no visible progress had been made, the minister said: “We have taken, and are taking, appropriate legal action against members of the law enforcing agencies whose negligence has been identified and whose cases have come to our attention.”
He added, “We are not stopping at simply withdrawing them from duty. Appropriate legal action is being taken against them. If they have committed a criminal offence, action is being taken through proper legal channels.”
Referring to the long-standing desire to establish a permanent headquarters for the Ansar-VDP in the Tejgaon area, the minister said: “Around 11 bighas of land have been allocated by the Ministry of Public Works for the construction of the Ansar headquarters. As the existing headquarters in Khilgaon has insufficient space and faces limitations in terms of transportation and accessibility, a modern, large-scale infrastructure will be built here to address these issues.”
The minister said Bangladesh currently has around 20,000 Battalion Ansar members and 60,000 embodied Ansar members.
“In addition, there are around six million trained personnel under 35,000 VDP team leaders. Combining regular and irregular members, it is the largest force in the country,” he said.
He also said the government is planning to create additional facilities in Ashulia and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka to address accommodation shortages among Ansar members assigned to central duties, including dormitories and barracks.
The home minister praised the contributions of the Ansar force during the July Mass Uprising, as well as during various national crises and in maintaining law and order. He also said the government remains committed to addressing the force’s financial and other demands in phases.
