Increase Punishment Severity from Life Imprisonment
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] As public outrage over consecutive rape cases surges in Bangladesh, the punishment for rapists is being raised to the maximum penalty of death.
According to local Bangladeshi media such as The Daily Star on the 13th, the cabinet approved a bill containing these provisions the day before. It is expected to take effect on the same day through presidential approval and promulgation.
Anisul Huq, Bangladesh's Minister of Law, said, "There is a need to expedite the legal amendment," adding, "Since the parliament is not currently in session, the amendment will be promulgated through presidential approval."
Currently, the highest legal penalty for rapists in Bangladesh is life imprisonment, but due to the recent continuous occurrence of horrific sexual violence cases and the resulting public outcry, the punishment level has been raised to the death penalty.
Recently, protests have continued daily across Bangladesh as victims of sexual assault have surged.
Protesters raised their voices in major cities such as Dhaka, chanting, "Execute rapists by hanging," and "Show no mercy to rapists."
The protests were triggered by a gang rape incident that occurred last month in the southern Noakhali district.
In Noakhali, a housewife was raped by several men in her home, and the scene was recorded on video and shared online.
Additionally, in Sylhet in the northeast, a woman was raped by five men in a university dormitory, and in the northern Dinajpur district, a 13-year-old child was kidnapped and gang-raped, continuing the brutal sexual crimes.
According to local civic groups, from January to August this year, 889 victims of rape were reported in Bangladesh. Among them, 40 lost their lives.
However, the conviction rate for such cases is known to be very low.
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