The Cabinet on Monday gave the final approval to the draft of Ansar Battalion Act, 2023, keeping death penalty as the maximum punishment for different crimes including mutiny and provocation for rebellion.
The approval came from the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the capital.
According to the proposed law, there will be two courts to try the internal crimes of Ansar battalion members.
One is “Summary Ansar Battalion Court” to be headed by an additional director and another is “Special Ansar Battalion Court” to be headed by the director general, said Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain while briefing reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
“Serious crimes like committing mutiny, instigating revolt, creating ground for rebellion, and engaging in conspiracy will be tried in the Special Ansar Battalion Court. The maximum punishment for such crimes is the death penalty,” he said.
Besides, other serious crimes related to the punitive provisions ranging from life imprisonment to a minimum of five-year imprisonment will be tried in special courts, he added.
The cabinet had approved in principle the draft law in March this year.
