By Mohsin Bepari
DHAKA, Aug 14, 2025 (BSS) - Ansar-VDP Unnayan Bank has regained strength and turned around after reforming key policies and taking strategic decisions in the last one year since Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud assumed responsibility as the bank chairman.
In an interview with the state-run news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Mahmud elaborated the insights of the reforms and policy decisions.
He said that the "Sanjiban Project", a livelihood-based collective investment initiative by the Ansar VDP platoon at the upazila level, is currently in the piloting stage.
He said this newly introduced project aims to ensure the welfare of the members, recognize their voluntary contributions to national security, and improve socio-economic indicators at the grassroots level in the future.
The Ansar and VDP director general said a circular has been issued introducing "personal loans" for the officers and employees of this force and the bank.
"In order to select the right borrowers, arrangements have been made to ensure membership by obtaining the certification of the district commandant in coordination with the force. As a result, members will be able to easily get financial assistance and become self-reliant in improving their standard of living," he said.
He also said that a new board of directors of the bank has been formed, while the executive committee of the board of directors has been restructured.
For the first time, in the formation of the management level, directors have been appointed from the members of Ansar and VDP, giving priority to people with knowledge of banking and finance, he added.
The director general said that an audit committee and a risk management committee have been formed in the board to ensure transparency and accountability in the bank's activities.
Besides, Ansar-VDP Unnayan Bank Job Regulations-2005 has been prepared in a timely manner, which is awaiting final approval from the Financial Institutions Department, he said.
In addition, an HR manual has been formulated for the discipline of the bank's daily work, he added.
Regarding the administration, Mahmud said, "According to the approved organizational structure, the total manpower of the bank is 2,878. Currently, the number of working manpower is 716. Due to lack of manpower, the overall activities of the bank were being severely disrupted. There was also an uneven distribution of the existing manpower, and more manpower was at the head office and branches around Dhaka".
From October 2024, the existing manpower has been distributed evenly and initiatives have been taken to recruit manpower against vacant posts, he said.
He added that initiatives have been taken to recruit 189 senior officers, which is in the final stage, while 107 officers have already been appointed.
Approval has been received from the Financial Institutions Division for the recruitment of 300 data entry operators and the recruitment initiative is ongoing, he said.
After a long five years, 223 people have been promoted in various categories from officers to deputy general managers, he added.
In addition, a balanced manpower deployment has been made in each branch, including recruitment and promotion. Moreover, 268 people have been appointed as temporary security guards, said the director general.
Regarding loans and advances, he said that the Integrated Loan Policy-2025 has been prepared by making necessary amendments to the bank's Integrated Loan Policy-2019.
A circular has been issued to adjust the loan interest rate in a timely manner.
He said that the period of state guarantee for loans taken in the agricultural and rural credit sector of Bangladesh Bank has been extended by one year and it has been regularized by paying the interest on the loan of Tk 750 crore.
Regarding ICT, the director general said that the bank is far behind in automation. Although the implementation of CBS started in 2015, CBS was implemented in only 66 branches till 2024.
After the current management authority took charge, an initiative has been taken to bring the bank under complete automation, he said, adding that tenders have already been floated to bring each branch under CBS.
He continued that initiatives have been taken to recruit ICT manpower and three hundred data entry operators to manage the post-CBS implementation process smoothly.
Regarding the central accounting, Mahmud said that in the last fiscal year 2023-24, there were 21 loss-making branches of the bank, which has reduced to 18 in the fiscal year 2024-25 by adopting the right approach.
By adopting the right plan, it has been possible to reduce the provision for loans in the fiscal year 2024-25 by about Tk 54 crore compared to the previous fiscal year 2023-24, he added.
The director general said that through the far-sighted and realistic planning of the bank management authority and regular supervision, it has been possible to bring the bank to a net profit of about Tk 2 crore from a loss of about Tk 44 crore in the previous fiscal year.
About debt collection and legal matters, he said that the bank's classified loans were Tk 325 crore in June last year.
"In December 2024, it stood at Tk 425 crore. Due to the adoption of various strategies to recover classified loans, Tk 191 crore of classified loans in the fiscal year 2024-25 has been recovered in cash. As a result, the classified loan balance stood at Tk 331 crore in June this year. Tk 120 crore of classified loans were recovered in the fiscal year 2023-24".
The director general said that by increasing the income and internal capacity of the bank, it will be possible to improve the quality and ensure the welfare of the members of the force.
This reform program will transform the bank into a modern, sustainable and member-friendly financial institution in the future, he hoped.