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Bangladesh adopts tough law to curb terrorism
19 May 2008 07:25:25 GMT
 Source: Reuters
DHAKA, May 19 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's army-backed interim government has approved a new counter-terrorism law, laying down a maximum penalty of death for anyone involved in terrorist activities, a senior official said on Monday.

The council of advisers (cabinet) chaired by government head Fakhruddin Ahmed approved an ordinance on Sunday that also provides for "speedy trial of terrorists by special courts", with jail sentences ranging from three to 20 years.

The previous elected government of now-detained former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia drafted anti-terrorist legislation after a surge in terrorist activities in this south Asian country earlier this decade, but Khaleda's five-year term expired in late 2006 before the measures could be finalised.

Fakhruddin's administration, whose principal task is to stage a free and credible election by next December, has now introduced its own law.

In August 2004, a deadly grenade attack by suspected Islamic militants on a Dhaka rally killed 23 officials and 150 workers of the opposition Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina, another former prime minister.

Hasina escaped with her life but suffered hearing impairment from the blasts.

A year later, outlawed Islamist groups launched a series of bomb attacks across the country, killing dozens of people including lawyers, judges, police and officials.

Six top Islamist militants were hanged in early 2006, and for a time their followers were seriously weakened. Police now fear they may regroup and try to launch fresh attacks.

The ordinance defined an "act of terrorism" as

-- any act that poses a threat to the sovereignty, unity, integrity or security of Bangladesh or creates panic among the general masses or obstructs official activities;

-- 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 among the public, and damage public or private property;

-- (and) take any person hostage, threaten anyone with death, assault anyone physically or create panic in the general masses, or kill or hurt anyone seriously or detain or abduct a person by such acts.

The ordinance said that anyone responsible for "financing terrorist groups, whether local or foreign, will also be tried under the anti-terrorism law and a convict will serve maximum 20 years of rigorous imprisonment or minimum three years with financial penalty."

The law empowered the authorities to ban any extremist group. Offences such as publicity or broadcasts in favour of any outlawed organisation is punishable by up to seven years in jail.

For sheltering a terrorist, one may be jailed for up to five years.

Previously Bangladesh had no separate law for dealing with terrorists. They were instead tried under the normal penal code. (Reporting by Serajul Islam Quadir; Writing by Anis Ahmed; Editing by Roger Crabb)


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