Anti-Terrorism Bill empowers police to detain any suspects
Staff Correspondent
The cabinet on Thursday approved five bills for enacting as laws some of the many ordinances, including the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, promulgated by the military-controlled interim government.
Fakhruddin’s government on June 9, 2008 promulgated the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance containing many harsh provisions, including the death sentence for terrorism, in spite of protests from almost all quarters.
The special meeting of the Cabinet approved the passage of the ordinance into law, although the committee of experts, formed to examine the interim regime’s ordinances, had recommended that it should be scrapped.
The cabinet also approved a bill for passage into law of the three ordinances promulgated by the interim regime to bring about certain changes in the Representation of the People Order 1972.
However Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who presided over the meeting, asked the Election Commission to reconsider the provision of the ‘no’ vote and to take effective steps for enabling the casting of votes by postal ballots, said the PM’s press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad, while briefing reporters at the Press Information Department
The cabinet also approved the Finance Bill for ratification of ordinances made by the interim regime for the management of the budget for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years and for ratification of the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance 2007, Income Tax (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2007, Income Tax Ordinance 2008 and Income Tax (Second Amendment) 2008.
The Cabinet, in principle, approved the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Ordinance (Land Requisition) 2009 promulgated by the interim government, for enactment as a law.
During the approval of the bill, the prime minister asked the land ministry to remain alert so that the affected landowners could get the real market prices for their lands, said Azad.
‘Most of the time the landowners get compensations for their lands which are lower than the actual prices, so the ministry will have to be aware of that,’ Hasina was quoted by Azad as saying.
The Anti-Terrorism Bill provides the death penalty as the highest and three years’ imprisonment as the lowest punishment for those involved in terrorism and for patronising, financing, sheltering and arming the terrorists.
It also authorizes the police to detain a person suspected of terrorism on remand for ten days, which can be extended to five more days by the court.
The bill, which contains 10 Chapters and 44 Sections, defines an ‘act of terrorism’ from a broader perspective, and includes any act that poses a threat to the sovereignty, unity, integrity or security of Bangladesh, creates panic in the people or obstructs official activities.
According to the bill, the use of bombs, dynamite or other explosives, inflammable substances, firearms, or any other chemicals in a way that may injure or kill people to create panic, and damaging public or private property, taking any person hostage, threatening anyone with death, assaulting anyone physically or creating panic in the general masses, or killing or hurting anyone seriously or detaining or abducting a person have also been defined as acts of terrorism.
The bill provides speedy trial in special tribunals under sessions judges or additional sessions judges.
The bill stipulates that those who finance terrorist groups, whether or not they are composed of local or foreign elements, will also be tried under the law. For financing terror, a convict will serve a maximum term of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and minimum term of three years with financial penalty.
The law empowers the authorities to ban any extremist group. Offences like publicity or broadcasts in favour of any outlawed organisation carry a maximum sentence of seven years’, and minimum two years’, imprisonment.
For sheltering a terrorist, one may be jailed for a maximum term of five years if the prime offender is given the death sentence.
Courtesy of www.newagebd.com
