At a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry, the AL lawmakers gave a note of dissent to a bill proposing time extension of the Speedy Trail Act.

Responding to the allegation by the opposition lawmakers, State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar said no innocent person has been arrested or harassed. He described the 'mass arrest' as one of the routine activities by the law enforcers to improve law and order.

In reply, the opposition members said they could place numerous instances of innocent being harassed by police.

AL lawmakers Mohammad Nasim and Sheikh Helal at the meeting demanded the government immediately repeal the Speedy Trial Act for the benefit of the people. The meeting, however, approved the bill.

Babar defended the law saying that since its enactment there has been a marked improvement in law and order.

Political persecution has risen to absurd heights due to the act being grossly abused to harass the opposition men, Mohammad Nasim, also former home minister, told the meeting.

He said whenever the opposition takes up a programme to protest the 'ill deeds' of the BNP-Jamaat regime, the government starts mass arrest to suppress the opposition movement.

For instance, he said, the recent mass arrest was to foil the opposition alliance's long march towards Dhaka on February 5.

He said thousands of people were arrested for nothing and many are still behind bars.

Jamaat lawmaker Riasat Ali Biswas said a police official in his constituency told him that the mass arrest was necessary to avoid acts of sabotage against the long march programme.

"If it was the case, then I will urge the government to go for more such arrest, if necessary," a meeting source quoted him as saying.

When Nasim asked for Justice Joynul Commission's report on the August 21 grenade attacks, the committee Chairman M Shahjahan said the rules do not permit the commission to make the report public.

Meanwhile, senior AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta at a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the law ministry demanded the government take departmental action against District Judge Reazul Karim Khan Chunnu who had recently announced that he will contest the next election on BNP ticket.

"Despite being a sitting judge, Rezaul Karim Khan has violated the service rule and government should frame charge against him, " Suranjit was quoted by a source.

On the current status of separation of the judiciary, Law Minister Moudud Ahmed said the process is going on in line with the High Court directives.

Suranjit also raised question about the appointment of two new commissioners in the Election Commission. But the law minister said the issues will be discussed at the next meeting.

Suranjit, also member of standing committee meeting on the LGRD and Co-operatives ministry, at its meeting yesterday said it is unprecedented that the government has piloted a bill regarding amendment to the Birth-Death Registration Act 2004, when the law has yet to take effect.