BANGLADESH GOVERNMENT OKAYS TOUGH ANTI-TERRORISM LAW

Bangladesh's government approved a tough anti-terrorism ordinance which has a provision for the death sentence as the maximum penalty for those convicted of terrorism, officials said. A weekly meeting of the council with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair gave the final approval to the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2008 suggesting that any act that poses a threat to the sovereignty, unity, integrity or security of Bangladesh or creates panic among the general masses or obstructs official activities would be treated as terrorism. According to the ordinance, use of bombs, dynamite or other explosives, inflammable substances, firearms, or any other chemicals in a way that may injure or kill people to create panic among the public, and damage public or private property have been defined as acts of terrorism. Threatening anyone with death, taking any person hostage, physically assaulting anyone or creating panic in the general masses, detaining or abducting a person by such acts have also been defined as terrorism. "If any person commits terrorist activity, he or she will be awarded death sentence or life imprisonment or maximum 20 years and minimum 3 years rigorous imprisonment, says the latest anti-terrorism law," an official said quoting the law which was expected to be promulgated soon. The interim administration, installed with crucial military support on January 12, 2007, decided to enact the law in line with the international anti-terrorism conventions that Bangladesh has signed.