The Rape Law Reform Coalition, a combine of 17 legal and rights organisations, on Wednesday suggested that amendments to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000 should introduce a broader legal definition of rape to include all individuals to curb incidents of rape and violence against women.
The organisation also proposed 15 others changes to the act amid the government鈥檚 initiatives of amending it.
The interim government on Monday approved in principle a draft bill to amend the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000, incorporating changes, including the introduction of a tribunal to deal with child rape cases in the wake of increasing incidents of violence against women and children.
The bill is expected to get final approval at the weekly meeting of the advisory council today.
The Rape Law Reform Coalition鈥檚 other proposals include setting a standardised age for sexual consent and introducing financial penalties based on the severity of rape offense, prohibiting the publication of identifying information, images, or videos of victims, vulnerable witnesses or accused in newspapers, other media or social media and establishing a state-run compensation fund for rape victims and survivors.
On behalf of the coalition, BLAST senior research officer Fahad Bin Siddique and legal specialist Ayesha Akter presented the recommendations at a discussion session at the National Press Club in the capital Dhaka on Wednesday.
Emphasising ensuring justice in rape cases, retired Justice Krishna Debnath said that justice could be achieved if judges work independently and apply the fundamental principles of law properly.
Speakers at the discussion also expressed concerns, saying that the amendment of the law must not be done hurriedly.
They urged the government to hold series of discussions with the organisations and people who were working for the law reforms for long before amending the law to identify gaps in the legal and institutional frameworks that prevent justice for rape victims and survivors.
Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers鈥� Association adviser Salma Ali said, 鈥楧ecisions must be made after discussions on every line and words of the proposed law.鈥�
Women鈥檚 affairs reform commission member Maheen Sultan said that the RLRC had been working for the law reform for a long time as well as the reform commission.
However, discussions were not held between them and the government regarding the amendment.
The RLRC comprises Acid Survivors Foundation, Action Aid Bangladesh, Ain O Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (Secretariat), Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Bangladesh Women Lawyers鈥� Association, Bandhu Social Welfare Society, BRAC, Care Bangladesh, Justice for All Now, icddr,b, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Naripokkho, Women with Disabilities Development Foundation, We Can, Women for Women and Young Women鈥檚 Christian Association.
On Monday, law adviser Asif Nazrul at a press briefing said that rape would no longer only be punishable when committed by a man, any individual committing the offence would be punished.
Asif Nazrul said that the amendments aimed to reduce the time taken for trials and investigations.
