Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2020 placed in JS today

The much talked about 'Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2020' was placed in Parliament today in a bid to ensure death penalty as the highest punishment for rape.

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira placed the bill which was sent to the respective parliamentary standing committee for scrutiny.

The committee was asked to submit its report before the House within seven working days.

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.

According to Article 9 (3) of the existing law, if a woman falls victim to gage-rape and gets injured or dies, the punishment is death penalty or life imprisonment for each rapist.

As per the proposed law that was placed in parliament today, changes were also proposed to two other sub-articles -- 11 (Ga) and 20 (7) -- of the existing law.

Any simple injury for dowry will be a compoundable offence (the complainant can compromise to drop the charge against the accused) in accordance with the article 11 (Ga) of the proposed law.

As per the 11 (Ga) article of the existing law, one shall be sentenced for maximum three years but minimum one year's rigorous imprisonment and will be awarded pecuniary (monetary) penalty as the punishment for making 'simple hurt' for dowry.

In the article 20 (7) of the bill, the 'Children Act, 2013' has been incorporated in place of 'Children Act, 1974' to follow the latest law as much as possible during the trial of any crime committed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000 in case any child commits or witnesses such crime.

The trial of rape cases shall be completed by 180 days at Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals according to the existing law.

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