Parliament has enacted the ‘Children Bill, 2013’, that provides for capital punishment if children are used in terrorist acts.
The bill was passed by voice vote on Sunday after Social Welfare Minister Enamul Huq Mostafa Shahid proposed it.
The Children Act says: “If any person, irrespective of being really responsible for or caretaker of a child, use him in any terrorist act mentioned in the article-6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, he himself will be considered the perpetrator of the terrorist act. And he will be condemned to the punishment mentioned in that article.”
The article-6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act provides for death penalty or life term or maximum 20 years and minimum four years in jail.
It also provides for fine for the crimes.
The law has been enacted against the backdrop of a large number of madrasa-going children being used by Hifazat-e Islam in its rally at Dhaka’s Motijheel recently. There are allegations that Qawmi madrasa teachers had forced them to join the rally.
The new law also keeps provision for introduction of a ‘children desk’ and appointment of a children affairs officer in every police station.
It prohibits submission of a common charge-sheet against a minor and an adult for committing the same crimes and also provides for bail for any child in any case.
The law also forbids arrest of any child below 9 years of age. If any children above 9 years is arrested or detained, he or she cannot be handcuffed, it says.
Source: UNBConnect
