Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the process of arresting Canadian citizen of Bangladeshi origin Tamim Chowdhury and sacked army major Syed Ziaul Haq was underway.

"Tamim and Ziaul Haq have been identified. Process is on to arrest them. Wait, you will know [about it] soon," he said at a discussion in the city.

Pro-ruling party platform Awami Shilpa Gosthi organised the programme at the Jatiya Press Club marking the National Mourning Day.

Recently, police have said Tamim “masterminded” the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks and Zia had a hand in the recent targeted killings. They also announced Tk 20 lakh bounty on each of the duo.

At yesterday's programme, Asaduzzaman said Tamim and Zia were under the law enforcers' surveillance.

He once again ruled out Islamic State's presence in the country and claimed those who were carrying out bomb and militant attacks were from banned militant outfits Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) and Ansarullah Bangla Team.

"I travelled from Teknaf to Tetulia but did not find the existence of any organisation called IS,” said the minister.

On July 1, a group of terrorists stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan diplomatic zone in the capital, killing 22 people, mostly foreigners. Two police officials were also killed.

According to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors global terror activities, IS claimed responsibility for the attack. The government, however, says there is no IS presence in Bangladesh.

The next week, militants attacked a police checkpoint near the Sholakia Eid congregation, killing two police officials and a local, in Kishoreganj.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday called upon lawyers not to appear before any court on behalf of militants.

He made the call while addressing a meeting organised at the Supreme Court Bar Association marking the National Mourning Day.

About the High Court verdict that scrapped the 16th constitutional amendment, empowering parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges for misconduct or incapacity, the minister said a petition was filed with the SC against the verdict.

“I will not make any comment on a sub-judice matter. But, I can assure you we will go back to the 1972 constitution,” he said.

Following a writ petition, the HC on May 5 declared the 16th amendment to the constitution “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.

Yesterday, the HC released the text of a part of the verdict.

SCBA President Yusuf Hossain Humayun presided over yesterday's meeting where Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, Bangladesh Bar Council's Vice Chairman Abdul Baset Majumder and legal experts M Amir-Ul Islam and AFM Mesbahuddin also spoke.