State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan today claimed that no "genuine" Islamic scholar was arrested centring Hefajat-e-Islam's violent activities in late March -- protesting Indian Prime Minister Narandra Modi's visit in Bangladesh.

He said "power hungry" Islamic scholars who were involved in conspiracy against the state and in anti-social activities have been brought under law.

The state minister was responding to two BNP lawmakers -- Harunur Rashid and Rumeen Farhana -- who during discussion on Hajj and Umrah Management Bill sharply criticised "wholesale arrest" of Islamic scholars during the government's ongoing crackdown against a section of Hefajat leaders for their involvement in violent protests from March 25 to 28.

The state minister said everyone knows what Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is doing for Islam in this country.

"Only some money and power hungry so-called alem-ulama, who are involved in various criminal offenses and conspiracy against the country in the name of 'saving Islam' have been brought under law," he said.

The junior minister added, "If someone is arrested unfairly, the prime minister has immediately asked to release them. And many Islamic scholars have already been released. In fact, legal action has been taken against those found guilty."

Earlier, BNP MP Harunur Rashid said, "Those whom we call alem-ulama are subjected to serious oppression. Please release them."

He added that Anti-Corruption Commission has served notices to the country's top 56 scholars to submit their wealth statement.

"I think it would have been appreciated had the ACC served notices to 350 MPs before serving notice to Islamic scholars," Harun also said.

Rumeen Farhana, elected in reserved seats for women in parliament, referred to a young Islamic preacher Abu Taw Haa Muhammad Adnan who recently went missing and said, "He along with three other people has been missing since last Thursday and still there is no trace of them."