Five Thousand Ansar Members Deployed To Guard Five Hundred Healthcare Centres

The government has launched a major initiative to bolster security across rural public healthcare facilities in Bangladesh. Effective from Wednesday, 1 July, a total of 5,000 embedded Ansar members are being deployed across 500 upazila (sub-district) health complexes and equivalent state-run medical institutions. The Ministry of Home Affairs has finalised all necessary administrative, financial, and logistical directives to facilitate this massive security synchronisation.

The security strategy was formalised through two separate official notifications issued by the ministry’s Ansar Branch-2. Acting under direct executive orders from the Prime Minister, the security enhancement aims to create a safe, unhindered, and patient-friendly environment within rural healthcare hubs. Under this scheme, exactly ten Ansar security personnel will be stationed at each of the 500 upazila health complexes, which includes five newly established sub-districts.

Harmonising Personnel and Financial Allocations

For healthcare centres that already have an active security presence, the existing personnel will be reorganised to meet the new requirement. The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed the Director General of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) to execute the deployments immediately and submit a comprehensive implementation report upon completion.

The financial framework required to sustain this large-scale deployment has also been structured. The annual expenditure for the salaries, allowances, and benefits of the 5,000 guards is estimated at 1,193,738,750 Taka. To streamline funding and avoid bureaucratic delays, a proposal has been sent to the Finance Division to allocate these funds directly under the dedicated budget code of the Ansar and VDP, rather than drawing from the general healthcare budget. Following formal concurrence from the Health Services Division, the disbursements will be channelled systematically through the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Addressing Workplace Vulnerabilities

Copies of the official order, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Monirul Hasan, have been forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Health Services Division, and all relevant directorates to ensure swift execution.

Medical analysts and trade union leaders view this deployment as a long-awaited response to rising vulnerabilities at rural medical outposts. Upazila health complexes frequently experience altercations, vandalism, and physical assaults on medical staff, often triggered by emotional distress among patients’ relatives or interference from local middlemen. Female doctors, nurses, and auxiliary staff working overnight shifts have regularly expressed concerns over the lack of structural protection.

The round-the-clock presence of ten disciplined Ansar personnel per station is expected to deter unruly behavior and secure hospital boundaries. By establishing a stable, risk-free working environment, the government hopes to reduce medical absenteeism in rural stations, ultimately ensuring that vulnerable rural populations can seek essential medical care without facing logistical chaos.