Sri Lanka bans 'Burqa', 'Hijab' for security reasons

Colombo: Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday under the emergency regulations has prohibited the use of face coverings of all sorts which is an obstacle to ensure the identity of the people and a threat to national and public security.

The order announced after a week of Easter attacks that killed more than 250 people clarified that the key criterion for establishing the identity of a person is the need to clearly expose the face, Colombo Page reported.

The government had said it would delay a decision until talks with Islamic clerics could be held, on the advice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The President took this decision to establish a peaceful and cohesive society which does not inconvenience any community people as well as ensure national security.

Police here has arrested 48 suspects over the last 24 hours as checkpoints were mounted by all of Sri Lanka's security forces across the country.

Among those detained were two men whom authorities recently appealed to the public to locate.Tensions have been running high on the island over the past week, with fears of further attacks as well as dread over possible retaliation against Sri Lanka's Muslims.

The government on Sunday also banned two national terror groups named National Thawheedh Jamaath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) suspected to be behind the suicide bombings on churches and hotels on last Sunday.  (UNI)