The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of ‘Ansar Battalion Act, 2022’ keeping death penalty as the maximum punishment for serious offenses like attempt to revolt, participation or provocation in such conspiracy.

The approval came from the Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office here.

“If anyone tries to revolt, instigates or participates in conspiracy, the member would face death penalty or life sentence or minimum five-year jail,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandkar Anwarul Islam at a press briefing at Bangladesh Secretariat.

Also read: Cabinet approves amendment to legalize digital evidences

As per the draft law, there will be two separate courts – Summary Ansar Battalion Court and Special Ansar Battalion Court--- to try two types of offenses commited by any member, he said.

The summary court will try general crimes and misconduct, while the special court will try serious crimes, he said, adding that there will also be an Ansar Battalion Appeal Tribunal under the proposed law.

The cabinet secretary said the maximum punishment for general crimes would be three-year jail term.

According to the draft, a member of the Ansar Battalion can’t be a member of any political or non-political organisation.

The Public Security Division designed a fresh law instead of amending the existing law of 1995 as massive changes are required here, he said.

Besides, the meeting in principle approved the draft of ‘Mujibnagar University, Meherpur Act, 2022’ in a bid to establish another public university in the country.

The special features of the proposed university are that the institution will have business incubator and professional course, said Anwarul.

Also read: Consider maximum cut in import VAT on edible oil: Cabinet directs NBR

The Cabinet also cleared the draft of ‘Agency to Innovate (A2I) Act, 2022’ placed by the ICT Division to set up an authority for promotion of ICT-based innovation.

As per the draft law, there will be a 16-member governing body headed by minister or state minister or deputy minister, to run the agency.

The meeting cleared the proposal for ratification of 18 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) adopted under Stockholm Convention on POPs from COP-4 (Conference of the Parties-4) in 2009 to COP-9 in 2019.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, a global treaty, was adopted in 2001 to safeguard human health and the environment from highly harmful chemicals that persist in the environment and affect the well-being of humans as well as wildlife.