JS body to meet today to scrutinise bill on empowering Ansars

The parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Home Affairs will hold a meeting this afternoon to scrutinise the much-debated Ansar Battalion Bill.

The meeting will be held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 2:30pm, said a release of the Parliament secretariat.

Despite opposition from the police, the "Ansar Battalion Bill-2023", which was placed in parliament on Monday, proposed for empowering Ansar battalion members to detain offenders, frisk detainees, and seize goods.

The government came up with the move with general election in less than three months away.

Top police officials reportedly reacted strongly and opposed for the proposal.

However, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday ruled out any chance to empower Ansar battalion members to make arrests.

The parliamentary standing committee members will thoroughly examine the proposals, and if there is any such thing it will be addressed, he said.