ZCZC
JS-04
WOMEN-CHILDREN-REPRESSION-BILL
Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill 2020 passed
SANGSAD BHABAN, Nov 17, 2020 (BSS) – The Jatiya Sangsad today
passed the Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill
2020 in a bid to ensure death penalty for rape.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira
moved the bill in the House which was unanimously passed by voice
votes with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Explaining on the bill, the state minister said the enactment of the
law will impose a positive role in the society, adding, “The present
government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is much aware of
establishing the women’s right.”
Opposing the provision of death penalty in the proposed law,
opposition lawmaker Shamim Haider Patwary said, “We will not get the
benefit of the law without increasing the appointment of Judges as the
country needs 18,000 judges for the judiciary.”
Earlier, the ‘Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment)
Bill, 2020’ was placed in Parliament on November 8, this year.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira
placed the bill which was sent to the respective parliamentary
standing committee for scrutiny.
In the proposed law, the punishment for rape is death penalty or
life imprisonment.
According to Article 9 (1) of the existing Women and Children
Repression Prevention Act-2000, the punishment for rape is life
imprisonment.
The law was promulgated through the President’s ordinance on October
13 as the parliament was not in session at that time and due to
growing demands from the public to ensure death penalty for rapists.
As per the legal obligation, the ordinance was placed in parliament
on the first sitting of the special session by the Law Minister Anisul
Huq.
The trial of rape cases shall be completed by 180 days at Women and
Children Repression Prevention Tribunals according to the existing
law.
BSS/OG/MRU/2119hrs