Dhaka – The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of ‘The Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) (Amendment) Act- 2017’ raising the jail term punishment to seven years from five years.The approval was given at the cabinet meeting held at the cabinet room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair yesterday.
At a briefing, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told the reporters that the amendment has been made in the section 4(1) of the existing Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Act, 2002 to raise the punishment.
“Extortion, disrupting the transportation services, vandalism, tender manipulation, giving threat, mugging and vandalism of public properties would come under the amended Act,” he said.
“The highest punishment of the jail term has been raised to seven years after discussing the matter with the stakeholders,” he added.
In 2002, then the government enacted the Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Act for two years. Later, the Act was extended several times.
At present, the Speedy Trial Act is using to prosecute offences like extortion, traffic blockade, damaging vehicles and properties, mugging, robbery and similar criminal offences.
Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved the draft of ‘Agreement between the Russian Federation and Bangladesh on Cooperation Concerning Return of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to the Russian Federation’ for returning back nuclear waste from Bangladesh.
On the other hand, the cabinet has approved a proposal for ratifying the ‘Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities’.
The Cabinet Secretary informed that the cabinet has approved a proposal to declare October 22 as ‘National Safe Roads Day’. – Staff Reporter
