President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday (Oct.13) issued an ordinance increasing the punishment of rapists from life term to the death.
Hamid signed the amendment to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, which was approved by the cabinet led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.
The decision came amid the growing protests against recent incidents of rape, sexual harassment and violence against women in the country.
According to the local human rights organization Ain-o-Salish Kendra (ASK), between January and September 2020, at least 975 rape cases were reported in Bangladesh, including 208 gang-rapes.