SANGSAD BHABAN, March 10, 2019 (BSS) – The Animal Welfare Bill, 2019 was placed in the
Jatiya Sangsad for preventing the cruelty to the animals.
State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock M Ashraf Ali Khan Khosru placed the bill in the House
which was unanimously passed in voice votes for moving it to the parliamentary standing
committee with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Placing the bill, the state minister said the proposed law will replace the existing Cruelty to
Animals Act, 1920 as the previous act is not adequate and applicable in terms of variable of
times.
The new bill also states that animals meant to be slaughtered for consumption or to be used as
sacrificial objects will not be considered cruel, deviating from the 1920 version of the act.
If any animal is sedated or euthanized on the basis of a veterinarian’s advice will not be
considered acts of cruelty anymore.
Punishable offences include up to six months imprisonment and fines of up to Tk10,000, which
was three months and Tk1,000 earlier.
The State Minister urged the parliament to send the bill to the parliamentary standing
committee for 45 days for further scrutiny.