The parliament has passed the Speedy Trial Bill, 2019 for extending its term for another five years.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan moved the Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and it was passed by voice vote on Tuesday (Jul 9), reports BSS.
The duration of the Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Act, 2002 expired in April this year. No change has been brought in the content of the law in the new bill, except for extending the term to 2024.
Placing the bill, the home minister said the original Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Act was first framed in 2002.
The trial of some offences disrupting the law and order situation like extortion, disrupting traffic movement, vandalism, tender manipulation, giving threats, mugging, terrorising people as well as vandalism of public and immovable properties will come under the purview of the amended law as in the existing one, he added.
According to the amended draft law, he said anyone responsible for committing crimes disrupting law and order will face minimum two years and maximum seven years of rigorous imprisonment along with fine.
In the existing law, the punishment is minimum two years’ imprisonment and maximum five years’ imprisonment.
BNP lawmakers Harunur Rashid, Rumeen Farhana, Jatiya Party lawmaker Fakhrul Imam, Rawshan Ara Mannan and Gonoforum Mukabbir Khan opposed the bill.
On Jun 25, Minister Asaduzzaman placed the bill in the parliament and it was sent to the respective parliamentary standing committee for further examination.
The cabinet approved the bill on May 26.