Death penalty for rape: JS body submits report on amendment bill to parliament

The parliamentary body on Women and Children Affairs today submitted its report in parliament on 'Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2020' seeking death penalty for rape.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Watchdog Meher Afroze Chumki placed the report following scrutiny by the standing committee on the proposed law.

The bill proposes amendments to the previous law to incorporate death penalty as maximum punishment for rape. In the proposed law, the punishment for rape is death penalty or life imprisonment.

According to Article 9 (1) of the existing Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000, the punishment for rape is life imprisonment.

This was earlier promulgated through an ordinance on October 13 as Parliament was not in session. In accordance with the legal obligation, the ordinance was placed in Parliament on November 8 for its approval by Law Minister Anisul Huq.

On the same day, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Ministry Fazilatun Nessa Indira placed the Bill which was sent to the respective Parliamentary Standing committee for scrutiny.

The Committee was asked to submit its report before the House within seven working days.