Last week, the Bangladesh Parliament passed the Animal Welfare Bill 2019. This new law will repeal the colonial-era Cruelty to Animals Act of 1920, carrying much stricter penalties than the previous century-old law.
The bill was introduced in Parliament on March 10 by State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock M Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru and was passed unanimously on July 6.
Parliament also passed the Bangladesh Veterinary Council Bill 2019 on the same day. This bill aims to maintain a professional standard of veterinary care and for the availability of quality services for animals fighting diseases.
The duties of animal guardians are defined under the new legislation, which aims to end cruelty toward animals and to ensure their welfare. Additionally, strays must be treated compassionately.
Keeping an animal captive for more than 24 hours and the unnecessary euthanization of an animal are prohibited under the act.
Violations of the new law come with a fine of 10,000 Bangladeshi takas (around $118 USD), a six-month jail sentence, or both. Previously, the punishments for violating the country’s animal cruelty policy were a mere 1,000 taka fine (roughly $12 USD) or three months in jail.
There are harsher penalties for severing an organ from an animal or poisoning an animal, including a fine of up to 50,000 takas ($592 USD) and a maximum prison sentence of two years.
The new law represents vast progress for animal welfare in Bangladesh. “This bill marks the most important development in this field to date,” Rubaiya Ahmad, founder and chairwoman of Obhoyaronno Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation, stated.
There were 56 edits to the bill, mostly regarding the treatment of strays, who are especially vulnerable to cruelty, before it was finally passed.
“After scrutiny and reservations from animal welfare activists, the final bill now says killing, removal, dislocation, tying up, or poisoning an animal is a crime, which is a great development,” Ahmad said.
“Passage of the bill is a very important step, but implementation is another battle,” she continued. We are already seeing some interest from government to implement the law and we are expecting to see more progress in the days ahead.”
A step in the right direction. Let’s hope its enforced!
Thank you Bangladesh Parliament for making this first step in the right direction. Just remember that the new laws have to be enforced. No single country has a corner on the market when it comes to animal cruelty, there are horrendously cruel acts committed by evil people in every nation. I believe, as some wise person once said, that we can never make progress as a society until we put a stop to animal cruelty in all its forms.
Cruelty and iny
So proud of Bangladesh. Our Cruelty to Animals law in Jamaica is from 1904 and still talks about not drilling a hole in your ox’s tongue!!!!
Now if they will only back it up. Barks are no good if there is no bite. Don’t threaten if you are not going to back it up. We are truly watching this one.
THANK YOU BANGLADESH!
WHY WAIT UNTIL 2020 ?? THE LAW SHOULD BECOME IMMEDIATE…TOO MANY ANAIMALS WILL KEEP DYING UNTIL THEN ……PLEASE IMPLEMENT NOW
This is excellent news. Well done, Bangladesh Parliament. But a law is only worthwhile if the authorities uphold it – namely that the public informs the police of the crime, the police investigate and arrest the offenders, the prosecutors bring them to court, and the magistrates/judges hand down appropriate punishment to the accused. Unfortunately, without support from each person in this sequence, a law is useless. And there will always be evildoers who find a loophole, or plead ignorance, to absolve themselves from a crime.
Yes, cruelty needs to STOP!
Why not now???
We need to stop treating God’s creatures as if they were placed here for our use
All animals have the right to live, be care for and protected. Thank you !
Not enough, but better than it was. Thanks, and keep improving please!
Very well done, Bangladesh Parliament, for passing your Animal Welfare Bill 2019. I am so proud of you. I hope that the rest of your country and other countries will follow with their own enforceable Animal Welfare bills.
being a Muslim country this should be part of their way of life already.
The Quran and Hadiths state in several places how it is a sin to be cruel to animals. Indeed, even hunting for sport is a sin!
Now for other Muslim countries to be reminded of that which they wilfully ignore!
THANK YOU BANGLADESH….THANK YOU. for taking the necessary LAWS to protect the vulnerable animals in your land. As you know they too are BANGLADESHIS !!!!
To protect, respect and love them will make the normal civilians to be more caring & loving as well. The condemn of one species just because they are not walking on 2 legs will never make any civilization to be more compassionate or kind. To consider we are ALL equally love our lives & feel the pains as equally will be the ONLY method one should follow & live. Loving animals make any Human A MORE HUMANE…
This is great to see one of the Asian Countries finally thinking of having an animal welfare.
The way animals are treated in thiese Countries has kept me from visiting them .My be if it improves in my life time I will take a holiday there.
Colin UK
It’s about time!!
I SUPPORT ANIMAL ABUSER’S BE PUT TO SLEEP!!!
Inspired to see this! Respect for Bangladesh for making these changes.
Inspired to see this!
THANK YOU, Bangladesh — you’re the best — thank you for taking the time to consider the issues of Animals — they ARE important and whether strays or not, they are members of our Families and/or Communities — a stay cat roaming about YESTERDAY, is sitting on a plush cushion in someone’s living room TODAY — the term “stray” is a matter of opinion and NOT a term in fact or truth — REMEMBER, there’s no point in having a LAW if it is NOT enforced — the new Pakistani LAWS of 2019 MUST BE ENFORCED
Justice, compassion, laws, life, LOVE for animals 🙏 Please 🙏
Justice, compassion, laws, life, LOVE for animals 🙏 Please 🙏
There needs to be more respect for the animals. They have feels and are saddened by the way humans are acting.
About time they realised that this is the 21st century and brought in animal welfare laws.
Un pas en avant!
THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR ALL THE ANIMALS MADE TO SUFFER BY EVEIL HUMANS
At least this is progress. Glad to hear it.
I am glad to see this has been put in place there for the innocent and defenseless animals – even though I believe these laws need to be severe enough people will think before they act – life for a life, send abusers to be testing laboratories instead of a innocent defenseless animal- make them endure what they have done to their victims . This is truly the only we end abuse around this world.