2,125 ansar members to be recruited, force to have 5 battalions
Bangladesh to open consulate general in Malaysia’s Johor Bahru
The government is moving to form five new Ansar battalions in response to rising demands for maintaining law and order, ensuring the security of key point installations (KPIs), and assisting law enforcement during the upcoming national elections.
A proposal seeking the creation of 2,125 posts for the new battalions will be placed at the secretaries' committee on administrative development meeting, scheduled for tomorrow (10 September), with Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid in the chair.
Currently, Bangladesh has 42 Ansar battalions — 39 male, two female, and one Ansar Guard battalion.
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According to the home ministry, the posts include 20 permanent cadre positions under the revenue sector and 2,105 temporary positions. Each battalion will comprise 425 members.
The public administration and finance ministries have already approved the proposal, while the finance ministry has finalised the pay scale for all positions.
The new battalions will be stationed at strategic locations, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Rangpur, Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar, Dhaka and Chattogram city areas, and the Barishal division.
As per the proposal, the posts will range from five directors and five deputy directors to 1,180 sepoys and five nursing assistants, among others.
New consulate general in Johor Bahru
The government is moving to establish a new Consulate General office of Bangladesh in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to better serve the country's expatriate community.
The foreign ministry has proposed the creation of nine new posts — six home-based and three locally-based — for the consulate, with the Expenditure Management Wing of the Finance Division already giving its approval.
According to the ministry, Johor Bahru ranks just after Kuala Lumpur in economic importance, and nearly 40% of Bangladeshi expatriates in Malaysia live in Johor Bahru and surrounding areas. Currently, they must travel to Kuala Lumpur to access consular services.
An inter-ministerial delegation comprising officials from the Foreign Affairs and Finance Divisions has also recommended the move, underscoring the urgent need for a local consulate office.
Moreover, a proposal to create 320 temporary positions in the revenue sector of Rangpur City Corporation's organogram is set to be placed before the secretaries' committee for approval.
