Cabinet approves draft Border Guard Act: Death penalty for mutiny

The Government yesterday approved the draft Border Guard Bangladesh Act 2010, having a provision of death as maximum penalty for mutiny.
The decision came following the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday.
Once the law is passed, the current Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Order of 1972 and Bangladesh Rifles (Special Provision) Ordinance 1976 will be abolished, allowing the force to be renamed as ‘Border Guard Bangladesh’.
“The proposed law includes a provision of death penalty for mutiny or disobedience in duty by border guards,” Abul Kalam Azad, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister told journalists after the cabinet meeting at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting. Ministers, State Ministers and Advisers to the Prime Ministers, among others, were present on the occasion.
Azad said the proposed law will further toughen penalties for crimes committed by border guards. It includes a provision of death penalty for mutiny or disobedience in the field by border guards. The existing maximum penalty under the BDR law is seven years in jail.
He said that under the new law the border guards will get a new insignia and new uniform of black, maroon and ash instead of the present olive-maroon colours The draft law also suggests a new organogram, new command structure and tougher promotion conditions for guardsmen to equivalent positions. There are also proposals to create more Border Outposts and enlarge the force’s ranks.
Earlier, the Cabinet in its meeting on March one last approved the draft act in principle and formed a high-powered six-member committee for final scrutiny of the proposed law. Prime Minister’s Advisers HT Imam and Mashiur Rahman, are among the members.
Other members of the committee are the prime minister’s principal secretary, cabinet secretary, law and home secretaries.
The Government moved to formulate the new act after the bloody Bangladesh Rifles mutiny on Feb 25-26 2009 killed over 70 people including 57 army officers deputed to the border force. The Cabinet also approved the draft of International Mother Language Act 2010 and Domestic Violence (Resistance and Protection) Act 2010.

Courtesy of The New Nation