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Dhaka, May 11, 2025 :The Advisory Council has granted both preliminary and final approval to the draft of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, which includes provisions to ban individuals or entities involved in terrorist activities and their operations.
According to a statement from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, the approval was given during a special meeting of the Advisory Council held at Yamuna on Sunday (May 11).
A summary of the meeting stated that the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, was enacted to prevent terrorist activities, ensure effective punishment, and address related matters. To fulfill the objectives of the Act, the government can list individuals or entities in the schedule through a gazette notification if there are reasonable grounds to believe they are involved in terrorist activities. Additionally, entities can be declared prohibited and listed in the schedule. However, the current law lacks provisions for banning the activities of entities.
To address this gap and make the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, more relevant to contemporary needs, amendments were deemed necessary. The proposed amendments include provisions to ban the activities of entities, initiate necessary prosecutions, and prohibit the promotion of terrorist activities through online platforms and social media.
The amendment is expected to be issued as an ordinance tomorrow.
AI/MR
