Bangladesh
Ansar Battalion Act Ansar law finalized, rebellion is punishable by death
Dhaka, Sept 5: The cabinet approved the draft of the 'Ansar Battalion Act, 2023', making death sentence the maximum penalty for mutiny.
The draft law was approved in a Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday, September 4. It was presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain gave this information in a press briefing at the Secretariat after the meeting.
He said, the maximum penalty for inciting rebellion or rebellion organization is death penalty in the draft law. The earlier Act did not cover rebellion. The Cabinet Secretary also said that the new law will establish two courts called Short Ansar Court and Special Concession Court for the trial of crimes.
Stating that this law was approved by the cabinet on March 28, 2022, he said, "There was a big gap in the previous law. In some cases there was no punishment. Matters of rebellion or disorder were not specified. The draft law specifying them has been given final approval."
He said various offenses under the new law include stealing government or battalion member's property, absenting from parade without permission of authority without reasonable cause, absent from duty, showing reluctance to perform duty. In this case, the punishment of dismissal from the job, compulsory removal from the job has been mentioned.
Stating that the draft law has provided for two courts within the institution, he said, one will be a short Ansar court, the other will be a special Ansar court. The summary court will be headed by an Additional Director General. There will be a special court for serious offences, headed by the Director General. The draft law describes what crimes will be tried in these two courts.
The draft law states, "Organizing and inciting rebellion, inciting or participating in conspiracy to cause rebellion, not attending the place of rebellion and making sufficient efforts to quell it, knowing about the rebellion or not having reasonable knowledge of the conspiracy to the higher authority. Deterring any battalion member from his duty and loyalty to the government, providing arms, ammunition or any other means to a battalion member or any person outside the Ansar Battalion directly or indirectly involved in the rebellion, committing any other criminal organization connected with the rebellion - shall be punished with death. or with rigorous imprisonment for life or in other cases with rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years."
