New law to ensure 90-day completion for rape trials: Asif Nazrul

The government is working on amending the law related to rape trials to ensure swift justice, with trials being completed within 90 days, said Legal Adviser Asif Nazrul during a briefing at the Secretariat on Sunday. 

The amendment aims to address the growing concerns about delays in rape cases, and it will set clear rules to ensure both speedy investigations and trials.

Asif Nazrul explained, "Rape cases must be resolved within 90 days, and the investigation needs to be completed within 15 days. No defendant will be granted bail just because the trial isn‍‍`t completed within the given time frame. If there‍‍`s any negligence from the administration, the law will include strict provisions for punishment."

Discussing previous delays in rape trials, Asif Nazrul noted that the requirement for a DNA certificate had often slowed the process. "Earlier, it was mandatory to have a DNA certificate for both the victim and the accused, but many areas lack facilities for DNA sample collection. This would often lead to delays in getting justice. We‍‍`re working on changes to ensure that in suitable cases, if the judge feels that a medical certificate is enough, they can proceed with that. In some instances, such as the Magura case, where the culprits were caught in the act, there‍‍`s no need to wait for these certificates. We‍‍`re trying to avoid unnecessary delays in cases like these."

He also highlighted that the interim government will set up DNA forensic labs in all districts to speed up investigations and trials. 

This step is intended to support the justice system and ensure that cases don’t linger because of lack of resources.

Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs is preparing to launch a toll-free hotline to help combat street harassment. 

"This hotline will be monitored by a dedicated cell within the Ministry of Home Affairs. Similarly, the Ministry of Law is setting up a separate cell to handle rape cases efficiently," added Nazrul.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting women, Nazrul said, "Violence against women will not be tolerated under any circumstances. We are determined to take the necessary administrative measures to stop rape. There’s no room for doubt in this regard. The proposed legal amendments have already been discussed, and we expect results within a week."

In the same briefing, Information Adviser Mahfuz Alam announced that the Ministry of Culture will collaborate on creating awareness videos, with a focus on rape prevention. "We are also thinking about monitoring other pressing issues like mob justice and militancy. We plan to sit with the media to ensure that people get the right information on these matters," said Alam.