No Hefajat activist to be arrested without specific allegations: JS body chief

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, also the chairman of cabinet committee on law and order, yesterday said that no Hefajat-e-Islam leaders or supporters would be arrested in future without any specific allegations.

The minister was addressing reporters at the secretariat after the end of a cabinet committee meeting yesterday.

He said the overall law and order situation is normal and the home ministry is performing its duties efficiently.

"Hefajat issues has been discussed in the meeting. No one has been arrested without specific allegations and it has been decided that no one will be arrested in the future without allegations. We will take action if evidence is found against anyone about involvement in crime," he said.

The minister said, "If any wrong message goes before nation about arrest of any scholars, then it is not correct. Under no circumstances will any arrest be made without any specific charges."

Law enforcers have been asked to be vigilant so that the law is not abused in the name of any party or community, said the minister.

'FOREIGNERS WITH EXPIRED VISA INVOLVED IN CRIME'

Mozammel Haque said some foreign nationals' visas have expired, but they are not leaving the country.

"They are not going back showing excuses like airline service being off and someone saying they have no money," he said.

But according to intelligence reports, most of these foreigners are involved in crime, he said, adding that arrangements will be made to bring them under the law and keep them in a safe zone.

If they have no money then the government will collect tickets and send them back to their country, said the minister.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Law Minister Anisul Huq, Expatriates' Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad and State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain were also present in the meeting, among others.

MINISTER'S CELL PHONE SNATCHING

In reply to a reporters' query on how a minister's cell phone can be snatched if the law and order is normal, Mozammel Haque said it was an isolated incident.

"However, the matter is very sad and worrying. Naturally, the question arises as to what is the condition of the common people if the minister's phone is snatched," he added.

HOME MINISTRY TO ISSUE NID

All activities relating to National Identity (NID) cards will be provided from the home ministry within the next two months, said chairman of cabinet committee on law and order.

Mozammel Haque said, "Now NID services will remain under the home ministry. NID cards must be issued within 30 days of submitting applications. Or else, they will have to submit explanations. People have suffered a lot."

The Election Commission is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing the voter list and holding elections, said the minister.

Protests at Rohingya camps, bringing Amazon and Google under tax net, and LSD drug, among other issues, were discussed at the meeting.