Dhaka: Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khanon Wednesdaysaid the government would take steps as per law if any killing of innocent people takes place while conducting drives against drug traders.

‘An executive magistrate investigates where gunfire takes place,’ he told reporters after his lengthy meeting with US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat at his Secretariat office saying the law enforcement agencies did not kill anybody in the crossfire.

He said Bernicat wanted to know how many people are killed and how many people are in jail following the anti-drug drives.

‘She appreciated the drives against illegal drugs but expressed concerned about loss of lives in the drives,’ he said.

The Home Minister said they provided details to the US Ambassador who supported controlling the expansion of drugs in the country.

‘Our government has never directed us to kill people. Our law enforcement agencies don’t work for killing someone,’ said the minister.

He conveyed the US Ambassador that the law enforcement agencies did not kill anybody in the crossfire.

He said so far 13000 drug peddlers have been arrested during the drive and punished with various terms.

The US envoy laid emphasis on catching ‘kingpins’ and finding the sources of illegal drugs and bringing responsible persons to justice respecting human rights.

‘I ask always human rights are respected and people everywhere can have the confidence that right individual has been caught, right individual is punished and that no one is taking the law in their own hands,’ said Ambassador Bernicat.

The US diplomat said it is really import to find out the sources of drug who are facilitating at the heart of drug trafficking and capturing and convicting not only the dealers but also the kingpins.

She was talking to reporters at the Secretariat after her lengthy meeting with the Home Minister.

Bernicat said she covered a number of issues, including the ‘killings’ that have been taking place as part of the government campaign against drugs.

The US Ambassador said she does not know any country on earth that is not fighting against illegal drugs as it kills people, destroys families and cripples economies with so many innocent victims.

She also laid emphasis on educating people as one of the options to fight this problem.

‘On the other hand, goal should be zero tolerance. Goal should be trying to bring everyone to justice,’ she said adding that no country did find a foolproof way of fighting against drugs.