The government is preparing to amend existing laws to ensure a quicker trial process for rape cases, responding to growing calls for reform following recent rapes and violence against children and women across Bangladesh.
The decision came during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday.
Several advisers shared the update with the media after the meeting.
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said the current law allows 30 days for investigating a rape case. "We are now planning to reduce this timeframe to 15 days.”
He added that under the current law, if the investigation is not completed within 30 days, a new officer is assigned to restart the process.
“This provision will be removed, and investigative officers will be required to complete their investigations or face consequences,” he mentioned.
Additionally, the law will be amended to ensure that rape trials are concluded within 90 days, and the accused will not be granted bail until the trial is complete, Asif Nazrul said.
Right now, the existing law titled Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 allows 180 days to complete a rape case trial.
“There is a provision of collecting DNA samples of the accused after a rape case, but DNA sampling is not available across the country. So we are thinking of changing this provision by replacing it with a medical report, so that a medical officer can provide legal support to start the trial,” the adviser said.
He added that the government will soon engage with stakeholders to finalize the amendments.
The home adviser and the information and broadcasting adviser, who were present at the meeting, confirmed that their ministries will take similar steps to raise awareness about violence and rape.
Earlier, research by the School of Law at Brac University revealed that from 2009 to 2014, the total conviction rate under the existing Women and Children Repression Prevention Act across three district tribunals, including one in Dhaka, stood at a mere 0.86%.
This indicates that in approximately 99% of the cases, no single conviction was issued.
The research highlighted several issues that need to be tackled to enhance the effectiveness of this law.
According to the study, the leading causes of this conviction rate include false allegations, insufficient evidence, settlements made outside of court, inadequate investigations, and a backlog of cases.
Frequently, offenders possess sufficient influence and financial resources to exploit system loopholes and evade punishment, the report said.
