UNB, Dhaka :The Parliament on Thursday extended by five years the Speedy Trial Act that deals with serious crimes such as extortion, vandalism and tender manipulation.The passage of the “Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) (Amendment) Bill, 2014” came by voice vote four days before the current law expires on April 7.This was the first act passed by the 10th parliament since it was elected in the Jan. 5 general election. State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan moved the bill.The amendment means the speedy trial act will be in force until April 7, 2019 retaining the provision of maximum five years and minimum two years of imprisonment for serious crimes.The Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Act was first promulgated in 2002, by the then BNP-led government for a period of two years.The purpose of the act was to speed up trials in some serious offences like extortion, disrupting the transportation services, vandalism of vehicles, tender manipulation, mugging, creating fear among the people.Since then the law survived through extensions despite changes in the government.The law was amended in 2004, 2006 and 2012 to extend its tenure.The current government felt the need to extend the tenure of the Act to contain, investigate and hold trial of some major crimes and settle those quickly apart from dissolving the pending 1703 cases without any delay, the bill said in its objectives.
