Bill on anvil to penalise false case filing over dowry

A bill titled, ‘The Dowry Prohibition Bill, 2018’, was placed in Parliament on Monday incorporating a new provision of punishment for filing any false case.

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs (Independent Charge) Meher Afroze placed the Bill in the House and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The Committee was asked to submit its report within 30 days.

As per the new provision of the proposed law, the punishment for filing any false case will be maximum five years’ imprison or maximum Tk 50,000 as fine or both.

Another provision has been changed only to specify the amount of monetary punishment for demanding or giving dowry in the proposed law as no specific financial punishment is mentioned in the existing law.

According to the provision, if any person demanding or giving dowry will have to face maximum five years’ imprisonment, which will not be less than one year’s jail term or maximum Tk 50,000 as fine or both.

The draft law has been prepared rearranging the original law of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1980 and its subsequent amendments made through promulgation of ordinances.