Ansar won’t get power to detain criminals, search bodies, seize goods

Members of the Ansar battalion will not get the power to detain criminals, search bodies and seize goods.

A Jatiya Sangsad body made a recommendation to amend Section 7 and Section 8 of the Ansar Battalion Bill, 2023 at a meeting held at the Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday.

The meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry was held with Shahiduzzaman Sarkar in the chair.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq and other members Mostafizur Rahman, Md Abdul Majid Khan, Gloria Jharna Sarkar and Khodeza Nasrin Hossain participated in the meeting.

At the meeting, the parliamentary committee recommended bringing changes in Section 7 and 8 of the proposed law.

Section 7 of the bill regarding the responsibility of the Ansar battalion, states that the government or any government authority with the approval of the government will carry out the responsibility in any public security work.

Section 8 of the bill stipulates that an Ansar battalion member shall, if an offence is committed in front of him, with the approval of the superior officer concerned, arrest the offender and immediately hand him over to the police and, as the case may be, as per the directives of the judicial magistrate or the executive magistrate or the official concerned, will frisk the detainee; and enter any place, conduct a search, and seize goods.

Amid huge opposition from the police department, the home minister, while talking to reporters on October 25, ruled out any provisions to empower Ansar battalion members to make arrests.

Top police officials argued that such power to Ansar battalions would create a parallel force beside police and may create chaos.