A hard-and-soft approach needs to be applied to control militancy as it cannot be contained just by enforcing law, said chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Monirul Islam.

"Militancy cannot be contained just by enforcing law. It requires a hard-and-soft approach to control militancy," he said.

Monirul Islam, also an Additional Commissioner, was addressing a seminar on the role of Islamic scholars in preventing violence and extremism at the auditorium of Islamic Foundation in the city.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Islamic Foundation and the CTTC.

The CTTC chief said some miscreants of this society want to perpetuate militancy by misinterpreting religion in their own interest but it is ultimately Islam that receives the blow as a result of their activities is.

Addressing the seminar as the chief guest, State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan said, "You (Islamic scholars) are helping the Islamic Foundation in the greatest interest of the country and the nation. The way you can explain anything, no one else can do that. Everyone respects you."

He said terrorism has no place in Islam. During the sermons of Jumma prayers, imams have to raise create awareness among Muslims against terrorism and militancy, he added.