Court permission will be required to question character of victim

From now on, permission from the court will be required before questioning the character of a victim, says the draft evidence act which was finalised in the cabinet meeting today, Monday.

The meeting was presided over by the prime minister Sheikh Hasina. She joined the meeting virtually. Later, cabinet secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam confirmed the development to newsmen at a press conference at the secretariat.

The cabinet secretary said the draft was approved in principle on 14 March.

Talking about the amendment of the act, he said there was a propensity for the opponents to try and prove the victims "characterless". Irrelevant questions are asked due to this. From now on, court permission will be sought before raising questions concerning the character of the victims.

The court will determine whether the questions about the victim's character are relevant or not. Apart from this, proposals have been placed over amending some other issues, including digital court and digital evidence.