By Nazrul Islam

Dhaka, Feb 28 : Bangladesh's interim government announced plans of introducing a tougher and comprehensive law against terrorism proposing provision for capital punishment and ban of the outfits having terror links.

"The government has been working on the enactment of the law for the last few years, and the draft to this effect has been prepared after consultation parties concerned," the law affairs adviser to the army-led interim administration, Mainul Hosein, told reporters on Wednesday.

He hinted that an ordinance would shortly be promulgated in this regard.

Bangladesh's interim government of economist Fakhruddin Ahmed has launched a number of reforms agenda, including haunt against corrupts and the criminals, before holding the next general election, which was originally scheduled for January 22. The election was postponed because of promulgation of a state of emergency, under which the government was going to enact the tough anti-terrorism ordinance.

In an inter-ministerial meeting, presided over by the law affairs adviser, on Wednesday senior officials and advisers reviewed the draft of the ordinance.

Asked why the government was going to enact such a law during the state of emergency, the adviser said, 'Making an anti-terrorism law doesn't mean the country is caught in terrorism'.

The government needs to make the law as part of the international war against terrorism and to punish the organisations trying to or already harmed the state, he added.

According to him, the ordinance would clearly define terrorism to save innocents from any sort of harassment.

The draft ordinance proposes maximum death penalty and minimum seven-year imprisonment for those involve in terrorism and patronise, finance, supply arms and explosives and shelter terrorists, officials attending the meeting said.

If promulgated, the ordinance will stipulate time limits for investigation and trial of the terrorism cases and the trials will be held before special tribunals.

The offences under the proposed ordinance will be non-bailable.

The new draft of the proposed law, however, excluded the provisions for preventive detention, although the immediate-past ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government in a similar draft included the provision.

Mainul said banks would be asked to take steps to detect 'terrorists' funds' coming from external sources.

The proposed law will have cross-boundary enforcement in order to identify links of clandestine funding or transactions, training or patronisation, support of shelter provided by any foreign terrorist groups and to bring the offenders to book.

The law proposes that no organisation would accept any funds from any foreign organisation or group without prior approval from the government.

Action will be taken against any foreign national who supplies money or arms to Bangladeshi organisations or individuals to fuel terrorism.

The law to curb money-laundering has such a provision, but it cannot be applied effectively as it is part of a separate law, the law adviser observed.