Describing rapists as ‘beasts’, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the government has to induct the death sentence in the relevant law to save girls from these beasts.

“The rapists are [like] beasts as they exhibit their inhumane nature affecting our girls … we’ve amended the law and included capital punishment for rape…we’ve cleared the amendment [proposal] in the cabinet,” she said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks this while addressing a programme marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief organised the event at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. The premier attended it from her official residence Ganabhaban.

As Parliament is not in session now, Sheikh Hasina said, the government is promulgating an ordinance to make the amendment effective.  “It’s our aim to face any problem when it arises and resolve that,” she said.

The Prime Minister’s strong remark came as protests against the growing incidents of rape, sexual harassment and violence against women are continuing in different parts of the country.

Disaster Risk Reduction

The theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 is “Disaster risk governance” while the theme for Bangladesh has been fixed as: ‘Good Governance in Reduce Disaster Risk, Ensure Sustainable Development’.

State Minister for Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman presided over the programme where Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Disaster Management and Relief AB Tajul Islam and Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Mohsin also spoke.

Bedeni Nurunnahar and Md Reazul Huq expressed their feelings as they got disaster resilience houses from the government. Newly-recruited volunteer Kashfia Talukder also spoke at the programme.

Earlier, State Minister for Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md. Enamur Rahman, on behalf of the Prime Minister, handed over awards among the winners of best volunteers.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated newly-built 17,005 disaster resilience houses virtually and induction of volunteers, and unveiled the cover of ‘Standing Orders of Disaster’ book.

As a delta land, the Prime Minister said, Bangladesh has to face natural calamities cyclone, tidal waves, flood, earthquake, fire, river erosion and drought.

“These natural calamities will come regularly, we’ve to live facing all this… that’s why we’ve to remain ever ready to face these and we’re doing that,” she said.

She said the government already started implementing a long-term plan called Delta Plan 2100 to develop the country.

Hasina said the government is dredging rivers to increase their navigability and depth, re-excavating canals, beel, ponds and wetlands so that enough water can be preserved there.

She said capital dredging should be done for rivers so that these could contain water during the flood.

The Prime Minister said the government’s aim is to advance the country maintaining natural equilibrium and overall development.

She asked the authorities concerned to strictly maintain the smooth flow of waters in wetlands, rivers, canals and beels. “If we keep filling wetlands, rivers, canals and beels out of greed, and construct buildings, it’ll cause waterlogging, destroy natural balance affecting the country.”

The Prime Minister briefly described various measures the government has taken to improve the disaster management system of the country and face the ongoing Civid-19 pandemic.