Gazette on capital punishment for rapists issued

A notification of the decree on the modification of the Nari O Shishu Nirjaton Daman Ain (Women and Children Repression Prevention Act) containing the provision of capital punishment for rape has been published by the government.

On Tuesday (October 13) at noon, the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Law Ministry issued the gazette.

President Md. Abdul Hamid signed the ordinance earlier in the morning.

"Lifetime Rigorous Incarceration" referred to in Section 9(1) of the Act has been replaced by "Death or Lifetime Rigorous Punishment" according to the ordinance.

The new legislation is going into effect today. As Parliament is not in session to ratify the statute, the president adopted the ordinance.

Earlier, as per previous rule, a person convicted of simple rape was punishable by life imprisonment.