Cabinet approves draft of ‘Women and Children Repression Prevention Act’

Cabinet today approved the draft of "Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2020," to replace the ordinance okayed by the President a few days ago, keeping the provision of death penalty for rape.

"The draft of the 'Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2020', which was issued in the form of an ordinance on October 14 was also approved…now it will be placed before the House during the next special parliament session," Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told journalists at his regular weekly post-cabinet meeting briefing.

The premier joined the meeting virtually from her official Gono Bhaban residence while her cabinet colleagues were connected from the Bangladesh Secretariat through video conferencing.

The cabinet secretary said: "This is mainly done to protect the rules and regulations as if a law is issued in the form of an ordinance; it has to be raised in the form of a bill in the next session of Parliament. As part of this, the draft law was approved."

On the occasion of Mujib Borsho, the special session of parliament will be held on November 8, a source at the parliament said, adding that the session will be prorogued with the passage of a resolution on the political life of Bangabandhu.

The cabinet secretary said today's meeting approved the revised draft of the President's address to the special Jatiya Sangsad session of the 11th parliament on the occasion of 'Mujib Year', the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.