Law will be amended to ensure death for rape: Law minister

Against the backdrop of increasing rape cases in the country, the government is going to amend the law so that the highest punishment for rape is death penalty and not just life imprisonment.

A proposal for amending the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain (Women and Children Repression Prevention Act) in order to intensify the maximum punishment of life imprisonment to death penalty will be placed before the cabinet on Monday, Law Minister Anisul Huq told The Daily Star this evening.

"Yesterday (Wednesday) I have said that the government will consider whether punishment for rape should be enhanced from life imprisonment to death penalty. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina later that night instructed me to prepare a draft for amendment of Section 9(1) of the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain, 2000 and to place it before the cabinet on Monday for approval. Accordingly we are in the process to prepare a draft for amending Section 9(1) and few other sections of the Act for consideration of the cabinet," Anisul Huq said.

He did not share further details.