Bangladesh
Rape Bangladesh: Death penalty will soon become maximum punishment for rape
The ordinance issued with the provision of death penalty as the maximum punishment for rape is becoming law.
For this, the Cabinet has given final approval to the draft of ‘Prevention of Violence against Women and Children (Amendment) Act, 2000’. The approval was given at a virtual cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (October 25th). From the edge of Ganobhaban, the Prime Minister and Ministers from the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat joined the meeting via video conference.
After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told reporters at the Secretariat.
The day after the approval of the cabinet on October 12 (October 13) President. Abdul Hamid issued the ‘Prevention of Violence against Women and Children (Amendment) Ordinance, 2000’. The move comes amid a nationwide movement against rape and violence against women and a demand for the death penalty for rapists. As there was no session of the Parliament, the law was amended and then issued in the form of an ordinance.
The tenth session of the Eleventh National Assembly is starting from November 8. So the initiative was taken to make the ordinance law.
The cabinet secretary said, "The ordinance has been presented as a draft law today. The final vetting has been done subject to the final approval of the Legislative Department. If there is an ordinance in the absence of a parliamentary session, it has to be presented on the first day of the next parliamentary session.
"What was brought as an ordinance has been approved as a draft law today," he said.
Subsection 9 (1) of the Prevention of Violence against Women and Children Act, 2000 states, "If a man rapes a woman or a child, he shall be punishable with life imprisonment and with an additional fine."
According to the amended law, the words 'death penalty or life imprisonment' have been substituted for the words 'life imprisonment' in sub-section 9 (1).
