Jail, fine for killing animals, showing cruelty to them

Cabinet okays Animal Welfare Bill

The Cabinet yesterday approved in principle the draft of “The Animal Welfare Bill, 2016” incorporating provisions of jail term and fine for killing animals, behaving cruelly with them or forcing them to do hard works, reports UNB.
The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the draft law has been proposed changing the existing Cruelty Act 1920 that was very old.
The definition of the animal has been specified in the draft law, Shafiul Alam said, adding that all vertebrate except human being, domestic animals used for getting services and pet animals would come under the purview of the law.
Shafiul Alam said according to the new draft law, showing unnecessary cruelty to animals, killing them or forcing them to do extra hard work would be considered as punishable offences. About the punishment, he said, anyone involved in the offences like killing of animal or hurting animal seriously will face maximum two years of jail or Tk 50,000 as fine or both.
Besides, six months of imprisonment or Tk 10,000 as fine or both will be awarded for cruel or heartless behaviour or for any unnecessary harmful behaviour to animals.
The Cabinet Secretary said the Director General of the Department of Veterinary or his authorised officer or any police member holding the post of not below the sub-inspector can file case against any person for doing such offenses.
He added that production and re-production of pet animals and their management will have to be animal-friendly and registered with the department concerned.
The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of “Bangladesh Employees Welfare Board (amendment) Bill, 2017” increasing the financial power of the Board in some cases.
Shafiul said the grant for bearing the treatment cost of complicated diseases of the government employees from the Board has been raised to Tk 2 lakh from the existing Tk 1 lakh.
Besides, he said the monthly subscription fee to the Welfare Board has been proposed at highest Tk 150 which is now Tk 50 or around 1 percent of the basic salary, the monthly highest premium for joint insurance has been proposed at Tk 100 from the existing Tk 40.
He said informed that the proposed amendment to the law also hiked the monthly welfare allowance to Tk 2,000 from the existing Tk 1,000, the general treatment grant Tk 40,000 from existing Tk 20,000, grant for burial Tk 10,000 from existing Tk 5,000 and the one-time grant for joint insurance Tk 200,000 from the existing Tk 100,000. The Cabinet meeting also gave nod in principle to the draft of “The Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center Bill, 2016” translating the law into Bangla in line with the earlier Cabinet decisions to turn all the ordinances promulgated during the Marshal Law regimes into laws following the higher court verdict.

 

Jail, fine for killing animals, showing cruelty to them

Cabinet okays Animal Welfare Bill

The Cabinet yesterday approved in principle the draft of The Animal Welfare Bill, 2016 incorporating provisions of jail term and fine for killing animals, behaving cruelly with them or forcing them to do hard works, reports UNB. The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the draft law has been proposed changing the existing Cruelty Act 1920 that was very old. The definition of the animal has been specified in the draft law, Shafiul Alam said, adding that all vertebrate except human being, domestic animals used for getting services and pet animals would come under the purview of the law. Shafiul Alam said according to the new draft law, showing unnecessary cruelty to animals, killing them or forcing them to do extra hard work would be considered as punishable offences. About the punishment, he said, anyone involved in the offences like killing of animal or hurting animal seriously will face maximum two years of jail or Tk 50,000 as fine or both. Besides, six months of imprisonment or Tk 10,000 as fine or both will be awarded for cruel or heartless behaviour or for any unnecessary harmful behaviour to animals. The Cabinet Secretary said the Director General of the Department of Veterinary or his authorised officer or any police member holding the post of not below the sub-inspector can file case against any person for doing such offenses. He added that production and re-production of pet animals and their management will have to be animal-friendly and registered with the department concerned. The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Employees Welfare Board (amendment) Bill, 2017 increasing the financial power of the Board in some cases. Shafiul said the grant for bearing the treatment cost of complicated diseases of the government employees from the Board has been raised to Tk 2 lakh from the existing Tk 1 lakh. Besides, he said the monthly subscription fee to the Welfare Board has been proposed at highest Tk 150 which is now Tk 50 or around 1 percent of the basic salary, the monthly highest premium for joint insurance has been proposed at Tk 100 from the existing Tk 40. He said informed that the proposed amendment to the law also hiked the monthly welfare allowance to Tk 2,000 from the existing Tk 1,000, the general treatment grant Tk 40,000 from existing Tk 20,000, grant for burial Tk 10,000 from existing Tk 5,000 and the one-time grant for joint insurance Tk 200,000 from the existing Tk 100,000. The Cabinet meeting also gave nod in principle to the draft of The Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center Bill, 2016 translating the law into Bangla in line with the earlier Cabinet decisions to turn all the ordinances promulgated during the Marshal Law regimes into laws following the higher court verdict.