Legal notice seeks special law introducing death penalty for religious insult
It argues that a stringent legal framework is required to deter people from insulting Islam or any other religion.
A Supreme Court lawyer has sent a legal notice to four senior government officials, demanding the issuance of a special ordinance introducing death penalty as maximum punishment for insulting Islam or any other religion.
Advocate Md Zakir Hossain sent the notice to the law, justice and parliamentary affairs adviser, the law and justice division secretary, the religious affairs adviser, and the religious affairs secretary today (25 November) via postal mail, sources said.
In the notice, lawyer Zakir requested the ministries to issue an ordinance within 15 days formulating a special law to address acts that hurt religious sentiment. He warned that failure to do so would compel him to approach the High Court for further legal action.
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The notice questions why an individual such as Baul Abul Sarkar, who allegedly made derogatory remarks about Allah, should not face the maximum punishment.
It further argues that a stringent legal framework is required to deter people from insulting Islam or any other religion, warning that such incidents will otherwise continue to rise.
"It is absolutely necessary to take measures so that one religion cannot insult another, and individuals cannot criticise their own religion or their religious community," reads the notice.
