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October 7, 2005
Bangladesh: Harsh Anti-Terror Laws Planned
Following on from the recent terrorism taking pace in Bangladesh, it has been just announced that the country has decided to introduce anti-terrorism legislation, similar to current acts enforced in India, Pakistan, the United States and (as of next week) Britain, according to Manorama. The decision was made following a directive by Bhegum Khaled Zia, leader of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), President of Bangladesh.
"The government has drafted a new stringent anti-terrorism act with the provision of death penalty as maximum punishment for those involved in terrorist activities, and for the establishment of special tribunals to deal with such cases," a senior official of the ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs told IANS.The draft Anti-Terrorism Bill was drawn up by Moudud Ahmed, the Law Minister.
Terror attacks in Bangladesh have reached almost epidemic proportions. The wave of assault began last year when a grenade attack upon a meeting by the Awami league, the main opposition party, left 24 dead and 200 injured. The former finance minister, opposition MP Shah AMS Kibria was shot dead in another attack on the Awami League in the northeastern district of Habigang. Earlier this year there have been several attacks, with a massive co-ordinated bombing campaign on Aug 17 and more recently attacks upon courthouses.
The new proposed bill create special tribunals to deal with terror-related cases, and will state that any person can be arrested without warrant and will be denied bail by any court until their investigation and trial have been completed.
At present Bangladesh has six laws dealing with terrorism - the Explosives Act 1884, the Explosive Substances Act 1908, the Arms Act 1878, the Special Powers Act 1974, the Law and Order Infringing Offences (Speedy Trial) Act 2002 and the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act 2002.It may be cynicism on my part, but when members of the opposition party were having grenades lobbed at them last year, was it not then a suitable time to take action against terror? Or did Zia sit back because by doing nothing, she made political capital from a climate of anti-secular terrorism?
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 7, 2005 7:14 PM
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