Cabinet okays amendment bill
The interim government on Monday approved in principle a draft bill to amend the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000, incorporating necessary changes, including the introduction of a tribunal to deal with child rape cases.
The approval came in a special meeting of the advisory council, held at the Chief Adviser鈥檚 Office in the capital Dhaka with chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair in the wake of increasing incidents of violence against women and children.
鈥楾he final approval to the proposed amendments to the law is likely to come on Thursday at the weekly meeting of the advisory council,鈥� law adviser Asif Nazrul said at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital after the meeting.
At the press briefing, environment, forest, and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that a special meeting of the advisory council was held amid the surge in incidents of rape and violence against women and children.
鈥榃e have decided to amend the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act after considering the recent incidents, including the tragic incidents of rape and death in Magura and Barguna,鈥� she said.
The law ministry will present the proposals, and it is expected that the advisory council would approve the amended law on Thursday, she said.
Rizwana Hasan said that the proposed amendments included speeding up the judicial and investigative processes for rape cases with a focus on cases of child rape.
Special tribunals will be set up for the swift prosecution of child rape cases, the adviser said.
There is currently only one DNA laboratory in Dhaka, she said, adding that the government planned to establish two DNA labs in Chattogram and Rajshahi to address the shortage.
Apart from this, judges will be appointed through the judicial service commission to handle more efficiently the cases filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, she added.
Asif Nazrul said that the rape incidents that occurred with consent on promise of marriage were a separate offense, while the trial and investigation time for the rape cases committed without consent had been reduced in the amended law.
鈥榃e are giving optimum importance to these cases,鈥� he said.
He further said that the definition of rape was changed and made broader with any object used to abuse anyone sexually being bought under the definition of rape.
Stating that any form of rape is included in the definition, Asif Nazrul said that rape would no longer only be punishable when committed by a man, but would be applicable to any individual committing the act.
Noting that the trial in rape cases was delayed for years for lack of DNA reports, he said, adding that a provision was incorporated in the amended law that court could hold the trial of rape cases without DNA reports if it thought that the trial could be held with medical reports and circumstantial evidence.
The law adviser said that the issues of protection of victims and compensation were included in the law.
Asif Nazrul said that the amendments aimed to reduce the time taken for trials and investigations.
He said that the amended law would also allow tougher penalties in cases where the victim suffered physical harm after the perpetrator鈥檚 failed attempt to commit rape.
He also said that the proposed amendments would not affect the ongoing investigation into the horrific rape and murder of a child in Magura.
The case will proceed under the existing law, with a fast-track trial due to the availability of substantial evidence, he said.
In case of false allegations, the law adviser said, judges would have the authority to take action if they find that the case is fabricated with malicious intent.
Regarding the law amendment, Asif Nazrul at an earlier press briefing said that the trial in rape case would be completed in 90 days instead of 180 days under the existing Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the probe would have to be completed within 15 days.