Power to make arrests not given to Ansar forces: Home minister

Ansar forces will not be given the power to make arrests, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said today. 

Speaking to reporters following an inter-ministerial meeting organised on the occasion of Victory Day 2023 on Wednesday (25 October), he said, "There has been some misinformation. The Ansar were never given the permission to make arrests and we haven't today either. There is no law we have which will empower them to do so," he said.

"Let me make one thing clear, there is no room for misunderstanding. This is propaganda, all misinformation. No such incident happened. We always say that both our forces are members of our security forces," he said.

"All law enforcement agencies must operate within the ambit of our Criminal Procedure Code. This is the main point. The upcoming bill is in the final stages of testing. It has gone to the standing committee, which will examine it," the law minister added.

He said any sentence in the upcoming bill, which contradicts the law, would be amended.

Kamal said all law enforcement agencies would act in accordance with the existing criminal law.

A draft law was tabled in the Jatiya Sangsad on 23 October giving the Ansar battalions similar powers to Bangladesh Police – detaining criminals, conducting body searches and seizing goods.

Some members of the parliament of opposition parties objected to the bill, saying it might turn Ansar into a parallel force to the Bangladesh Police. 

The day after, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, terming the bill "unprecedented", said the Ansar was also being given the powers as the government is still worried over their own fate.

During today's briefing, the home minister also touched upon the discussions surrounding the political rallies slated for 28 October.

Jamaat can't rally under their own banner as party not registered

Speaking to reporters today, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami would not be given permission to hold a rally under their own banner as the party is not registered. 

"We didn't give permission before, we wouldn't now. Jamaat is not a registered party. So, if they come under the banner of Jamaat-e-Islam, there is no way they would be given permission for a rally," the minister said while speaking to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting organised on the occasion of Victory Day 2023 on Wednesday (25 October) at the Secretariat.

Asked if Jamaat sought permission at all, the minister said the DMP commissioner could confirm that, as he does not have the authority to grant permission for holding rallies.

"All political parties have the right to practice democracy. But if they defy rules [and regulations], the law enforcement forces will resist them. 

"So, we are clear that if they [political parties] apply to the DMP commissioner but say they would vandalise or stage blockades, then the commissioner will not give permission for rallies. Our commissioner will surely allow them if they carry out their activities peacefully," the minister further said.

'DMP has authority to give 28 Oct rally permission, not me'

Kamal has said he is not the one who decides which party gets permission to hold rallies – rather, it lies solely in the hands of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

"Neither the BNP nor the Awami League have been given permission for the 28 October rally yet. The DMP commissioner will decide who gets permission to hold rallies and where."

"If ten more parties want to hold rallies on the same day, we will allow them if they can do it peacefully. There will be no chaos if everyone follows the law," he said, responding to whether two parties would be given permission to rally on the same day.