The Ministry of Home Affairs today opposed a proposal to include Battalion Ansar in anti-drug drives saying that the force is not a “law enforcement agency”.

The ministry came up with the objection at Sunday's meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Home Affairs at the parliament complex.

The ministry made the objection through a report as the parliamentary watchdog in the last meeting on July 27 made a recommendation to the ministry to include Battalion Ansar in anti-drug drives, the meeting insiders said.

At today’s meeting, home ministry also informed the standing committee that they have instructed all ministries urging them to make dope test compulsory in the recruitment process of public service.

It also said that a Tk 102 crore project has been taken to formulate a rule for making the dope test compulsory.

Among others, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, committee members M Habibar Rahman, Shamsul Alam Dudu, Kujendra Lal Tripura, M Faridul Haque Khan, Nur Mohammad and Sultan Muhammed Mansur Ahmed attend the meeting. The meeting was presided over by committee chairman M Shamsul Haque Tuku.

After the meeting, parliament statement said that the standing committee also asked authorities concerned to separate drug-related inmates from others inmate at the jail.