Bangladesh
Evidence (Amendment) Act A woman victim cannot be interrogated without court's permission
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, July 26: The Cabinet has given final approval to the draft of 'Evidence (Amendment) Act, 2022', retaining provision that decency must be maintained while cross-examining a victim in the courtroom. According to the law, a victim (a woman who has been tortured or raped) can not be questioned or cross-examined without court's permission.
This approval was given in a virtual cabinet meeting held on Monday (July 25) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Prime Minister joined the meeting through video conference from the Ganabhaban and the Ministers of State from the meeting room of the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat.
Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam said this in a press briefing at the secretariat after the meeting.
He said, 'The law was brought in the cabinet on March 14. Policy approval is then given. Several amendments have been brought in it. There is a tendency for the opponent to prove the victim as characterless. It has been restricted. In order to directly ask questions about someone's character, the permission of the court must be obtained."
The Cabinet Secretary said, "There is a need to bring some amendments as the digital court has been recognized. So that digital court, digital evidence is acceptable. Because it was not in the Evidence Act."
Khandaker Anwarul Islam said, information or data will be used in the law. Only the information was included. The information that comes can be taken as evidence. It was discussed in the cabinet meeting that data should also be taken (as evidence).
Stating that another important thing has been included in the amended law, he said, digital records will be considered. It wasn't there before. Earlier there were- bananas, handwriting etc. The Cabinet Secretary also said that the law is an Act of 1872, the law has been asked to be translated to Bengali soon.
