Staff Reporter: The maximum punishment for rape is death penalty. Women and Children Affairs state minister, Begum Fazilatunnessa raised 'Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill 2020' on the Parliament. The bill has been sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs for submission of a report in Parliament within a week after its scrutiny.

On Sunday (November 08) evening, the speaker, Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury presided over the session. Before introducing the bill in the session, Law Minister Anisul Haque raised the 'Women and Child Abuse Suppression (Amendment) Ordinance-2020' in Parliament. The amendment bill was brought in the Parliament in the light of that ordinance. There is a constitutional obligation to pass the bill in the current session.

In the light of the ordinance enacted to amend the Act No. 8 (Suppression of Violence against Women and Children) of 2000, the bill in Parliament states that the words 'life imprisonment' or 'life imprisonment' will be substituted for 'life imprisonment'.

"Rape of women and children is a heinous crime," the statement said. The Women and Child Abuse Suppression Act-2000 was enacted for the purpose of strictly suppressing crimes against women and children. But in the existing socio-economic and cultural development, heinous crimes like rape of women and children in the country are having a negative impact on the social dynamics and are particularly detrimental to the trend of overall social development. Therefore, strict action needs to be taken against the perpetrators to curb such crimes. In this case, the bill has been brought to add the provision of maximum punishment in the law.

Under the existing Women and Child Abuse Suppression Act, the maximum penalty for rape was life imprisonment. Recently, a number of high-profile incidents of rape and violence against women led to the formation of an anti-rape and anti-violence movement across the country. The protesters demanded the death penalty for rape. Following this, the government decided to amend the law. On October 13, the President issued the amended Women and Child Abuse Suppression (Amendment) Ordinance. Earlier on October 12, the ordinance was approved by the cabinet. The new provisions are expected to reduce the incidence of rape and violence against women in the country.