President signs ordinance

President M Abdul Hamid promulgated an ordinance on Tuesday, giving his assent to a proposed law prescribing death penalty for rape a day after it secured cabinet approval, reports BSS.

"The President assented the cabinet decision and issued an ordinance on the amendment of Nari O Shishu Nirjaton Daman Ain (Women and Children Repression Prevention Act)," a Bangabhaban spokesman told the news agency.

Immediately after the presidential order was signed, the law ministry issued a statement saying that from now on, the "death penalty" instead of "lifetime rigorous imprisonment" would be the maximum punishment for rape.

The ordinance was issued a day after the cabinet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair approved the amendment prescribing death sentence for rapists when, officials said, she laid emphasis on completing the trials of rape cases within a stipulated timeframe.

Officials familiar with the process said that under the amended law, the judge could hand down life imprisonment as well alongside the capital punishment in rape cases.

"After the enactment of the law introducing death penalty, we now contemplate amendment to the related provisions of the Evidence Act to prevent anyone questioning the victims' personal character during the trial process," Law Minister Anisul Huq told the BSS. He said for ages the rape victims were traumatised further during the trial process as the defendants' lawyers, in most cases, tried to get relief by questioning their character or portraying them as prostitutes.

The law came as the country witnesses widespread street protests after a horrifying footage went viral on the social media platforms last week where a group of men were seen stripping and attacking a woman at a village in southeastern Noakhali.

The incident came days after another nationwide anger was mounted following reported sexual assault of a young woman in front of her husband in northeastern Sylhet while the culprits dragged her into a college dormitory.

Rights activists say many rape incidents remain unreported as many victims fear that they could be harassed by rapists or their protectors while many others prefer to hide the incident in order to avoid social stigma.

"Surely it (the amended law) will be a deterrent to such notorious crimes while we simultaneously will make all-out efforts to expedite the trial process of rape cases in the relevant courts," Mr Huq said.