2yrs jail for animal abuse

The cabinet today approved stricter provisions for draft of a law on animal welfare keeping jail terms and fine as punishments for abusing animals.

As per the proposed law, a person will have to face two years’ imprisonment or will have to pay Tk 50,000 as fine or both if the person is accused of killing or hurting animals, or forcing those to do work hard.

Under the existing Cruelty to Animals Act-1920, the punishment was six months’ imprisonment or fine of Tk 200 or both.

As per the draft law titled The Animal Welfare Act-2016, showing unnecessary cruelty to animal, killing animals or behaving cruelly with them or forcing them to do hard work will be considered as punishable offences.

The approval of the draft law came at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at the Secretariat in Dhaka with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the proposed law was drafted as the existing one is very old.

He said the definition of animal was specified in the draft law and all vertebrate, domestic animals used for the purpose of getting services and pet animals will come under the purview of the law.

The draft law proposed six months of imprisonment or Tk 10,000 as fine or both for cruelty or for any unnecessary harmful behaviour to animals, he said.

Alam said director general of the department of veterinary or his or her authorised officer or any police personnel holding post not below the rank of a sub-inspector can file case against any person for such offenses under the proposed law.

He said production and re-production of pet animals and their management will have to be animal friendly after getting registration from the concerned department.