Special Powers Act 1974

Prepared by- Showkat Hossain.

Additional District Judge,
Member, First Court of Settlement, Dhaka.
The background
• Detentions can be of two types- punitive and preventive.
• Special Powers Act 1974 is infamous for its provision for preventive
detention, this act is popularly known as the “ kalo ain” [ why black?]
• However the practice of preventive detention seem to have been
stopped since 2009
• Nonetheless, the abuse of this law, to my opinion, has been increased
and multiplied in recent years.
• Justification of preventive detention.
Preventive detention in different laws during
British and Pakistan period.
• East India Company Act 1784 and 1793
• Bengal State Offences Regulation Act 1808
• Foreign Immigrant Regulation Act 1812
• Bengal prisoners regulation 1818
• CRPC( limited ) 1898.
• Defence of India Act 1915 and 1939
• Government of India Act 1919 and 1935
• Bengal Special Powers Ordinance 1946
• East Bengal Preventive Detention Ordinance 1949
• Pakistan Public Safety Ordinance 1952
• Security of Pakistan Ordinance 1952
• Constitution of Pakistan 1956 and 1962
• East Pakistan Public Safety Ordinance 1958
• Pakistan Defence Ordinance 1965
The 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh
• Article 7- (2) This Constitution is, as the solemn expression of
the will of the people, the supreme law of the Republic, and if
any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution that other law
shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.
• 26. (1) All existing law inconsistent with the provisions of this
Part shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, become void on
the commencement of this Constitution.
(2) The State shall not make any law inconsistent with any
provisions of this Part, and any law so made shall, to the extent
of such inconsistency, be void.
• 33. (1) No person who is arrested shall be detained in custody
without being informed, as soon as may be, of the grounds for
such arrest, nor shall he be denied the right to consult and be
defended by a legal practitioner of his choice.

• (2) Every person who is arrested and detained in custody shall

be produced before the nearest magistrate within a period of
twenty four hours of such arrest, excluding the time necessary
for the journey from the place of arrest to the Court of the
magistrate, and no such person shall be detained in custody
beyond the said period without the authority of a magistrate.
• 35. (1) No person shall be convicted of any offence except for
violation of a law in force at the time of the commission of the
act charged as an offence, nor be subjected to a penalty greater
than, or different from, that which might have been inflicted
under the law in force at the time of the commission of the
offence.
• (3) Every person accused of a criminal offence shall have the
right to a speedy and public trial by an independent and
impartial Court or tribunal established by law.
• Article 102- (2) The High Court Division may, if satisfied that no
other equally efficacious remedy is provided by law –
• (b) on the application of any person, make an order-
(i) directing that a person in custody be brought before it so that it
may satisfy itself that he is not being held in custody without
lawful authority or in an unlawful manner ; or
The infamous second amendment of the
constitution, 1973
• Article 26 was amended to add that the parlament may amend the
constitution to add provision which is inconsistent with the
fundamental rights
• A new chapter ( IXA) enabling the executive government to declare
state of emergency were added empowering the government to
suspend few of the fundamental rights
• Article 33 were amended to enable the parliament enact laws
regarding preventive detention
New article 33 of the constitution after the
second amendment
33. (1) No person who is arrested shall be detained in custody without being
informed, as soon as may be, of the grounds for such arrest, nor shall he be
denied the right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his
choice.
(2) Every person who is arrested and detained in custody shall be produced
before the nearest magistrate within a period of twenty four hours of such
arrest, excluding the time necessary for the journey from the place of arrest
to the Court of the magistrate, and no such person shall be detained in
custody beyond the said period without the authority of a magistrate.
(3) Nothing in clauses (1) and (2) shall apply to any person–
(a) who for the time being is an enemy alien; or
(b) who is arrested or detained under any law providing for preventive
detention.
Article 33 continued
• (4) No law providing for preventive detention shall authorise the detention of a person for
a period exceeding six months unless an Advisory Board consisting of three persons, of
whom two shall be persons who are, or have been, or are qualified to be appointed as,
Judges of the Supreme Court and the other shall be a person who is a senior officer in the
service of the Republic, has, after affording him an opportunity of being heard in person,
reported before the expiration of the said period of six months that there is, in its opinion,
sufficient cause for such detention.
• (5) When any person is detained in pursuance of an order made under any law providing
for preventive detention, the authority making the order shall, as soon as may be,
communicate to such person the grounds on which the order has been made, and shall
afford him the earliest opportunity of making a representation against the order:
• Provided that the authority making any such order may refuse to disclose facts which
such authority considers to be against the public interest to disclose.
• (6) Parliament may by law prescribe the procedure to be followed by an Advisory Board in
an inquiry under clause
The special powers Act 1974
• The Act was passed on 9th feb 1974
• Section 2 of the Act defined “ dealing in black market, detention
order, hoarding and prejudicial act”
• Dealing in black market means selling or buying anything at a price
higher than the maximum price fixed.
• Hoarding means stocking or storing anything in excess of the
maximum quantity allowed to be stored.
• Prejudicial act means – any act which is intended to prejudice - the
sovereignty or defence, maintainance of friendly relations with
foreighn state, security of bangladesh, endanger public safety,
maintainance of public order, excites feeling of enmity between
different sections of people, interfere with the administration of law
and order, supply of essential commodity, cause fear to public or to
prejudice the financial interest of the state.
Section 3 to 14 provides that
1. Government may detain any person with a view to prevent him doing
any prejudicial act – in case that person is a foreigner, government may
remove him from bangladesh ( sec 3)
2. DM or ADM may issue the detention order. DM or ADM shall instantly
send a report to the government. If government allows, the detention
will continue, if govt doesn’t aprove, the order of the detention shall
expires after 30 days.( sec 3)
3. The detaining authority shall as soon as possible ( but of course within 15
days) communicate the grounds of detention and will give him a right to
a representation. ( sec 8)
4. However, if the authority thinks that providing grounds will be against
public interest, authority may withheld the grounds . ( sec 8)
5. There shall be an advisory board of 3 persons- two of them are or
have been or qualified to be a judge of the Supreme Court, another is a
senior officer of the govt. ( sec 9)
6. Government shall send the matter to the advisory board within 120
days with detail grounds and the representation of the detaned
person.( sec 10)
7. The advisory board after hearing ( no lawyer allowed) and evaluating
the materials before it, shall submits its report with opinion to the
government within 170 days from the date of the detention. ( sec 11)
8.If the advisory board is satisfied, the government may confirm and
continue the detention order for indefinite period. Meanwhile the
advisory board will give hearing and review its decision twice a year.
(sec 12)
9.If the advisory board is not saisfied government shall release the
detenue ( sec 12)
10. Govt may on its own revoke the detention order ( sec 13)
Problem with this law
• Bangladesh’s Special Powers Act is identical to indian MISA (
Maintainance of internal security Act) 1971 and East pakistan public
safety ordinance 1952, but the bangladesh law was harsher than that
of india and pakistan
• Under MISA 1971, the Indian government is allowed to detain a
person 3 months max at a time. In bangladesh it is 6 month (record
max in the world)
• In India, governement may detain a person for maximum 2 years, in
Pakistan it is 8 months a year- in bangladesh it is indefinite
Problem/ defect of the law continued
• In democracies, preventive detention is only allowed during war time
or in emergency time. In bangladesh it is a regular law , always
existing.
• Scope of preventive detention in bangladesh is wide with vague and
subjective words.
• Government may withheld grounds of detention which effectively
jeopardise the detenues right to representation.
• Right to consult a lawyer is denied
Practice and abuse of the preventive
detention law in bangladesh
• Every successive government in Bangladesh took advantage of
this law to supress the political opponent.
• After enacting the provision by the Special Powers Act, Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman government used Preventive detention against
the tribal people of Chittagong Hill Tracts, and against the
suspected members of Jatio Shomajtantirik Dol and Shorbohara
Party. The Zia regime used the law against whoever he thought
necessary to detain. President Ershad govt. used this Preventive
detention against Awami League and BNP during his regime
(1982-90). But unfortunately two elected party BNP Govt. (1991-
95) and Awami League Govt. (1996-2001) used it to oppress the
opposite party severely.
• Almost invariably, the detenu was refused to provided with the
grounds of their detention
• Advisory board became a mere paper existence
• On 7 September 2000 a three-member Sub-committee of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted a 31-page report on
SPA to the Parliament, in which it was mentioned that 69,010 people
were detained under SPA of 1974 in the last 24 years and 68,195
persons were released by order of the High Court Division.
• Supreme Court has been very liberal in granting relief to the detenu
under this Act
• Supreme Court held that the satisfaction of the DM or ADM or the
Government is not subjective satisfaction but should be objective and
there should be real grounds
• Grounds should be supported by facts and reason
• Even when some grounds are good and some are bad and when it is
impossible to ascertain which grounds actually lead the authority to
detain , the entire detention order is bad in law
• Vague grounds, insufficient grounds etc all are reason for release.
• Even if grounds were not provided , the detention is bad
• Government , in neumerous occasions tried to infructuate or by-pass the
order of the high court by issueing fresh detention order
• At some point the Supreme Court started providing whole sale relief
• In july 1992, 4500 people were detained in a single month. During that
time total detenu under preventive detention were around 10,000.
• 69,010 people were detained under SPA of 1974 until 2000.
• After 2000, the practice of preventive detention started to decline
• I don’t recall a single incidence of preventive detention in last 12 years.
• Does it indicate an improve in the scenario? I doubt so. We will discuss
detail about the current situation at the later part of this lecture.
• Break ?
Some other provisions and features of the
Special Powers Act
• The original Act of 1974 provided punishment for sabotage,
prejudicial act, forming subversive association, hoarding and dealing
in blackmarket ranging from 3 years to 5 years of imprisonment.
• In 29th july 1974 , the Act was amended to provide death sentence
for all of these above mentioned crimes.
• The amendment also provided death by firing squad in case of a
conviction.
• The amendment was loudly applauded in the parliament.
Now
• Sabotage means any act with intent to cause damage to any
government building, vehicle, machinery or apparatus, any damage to
railway, road, canal, bridge, culvurt, port,telephone line, any building
used for production or supply of essential commodities, any jute
product- punishment death or life imprisonment or upto 14 years
• Penalty for hoarding or blackmarket death or life imprisonment or
upto 14 years
• Penalty for counterfeiting currency note , even buying or selling or
possessing counterfeiting notes is death or life imprisonment or upto
14 years
• Penalty for smuggling – death , life imprisonment or upto 14 years [
what is smuggling?]
• Selling smuggled goods up to seven years
• Penalty for adulteration or sale of adulterated foods, drinks, drugs or
cosmetics - death , life imprisonment or upto fourteen years.
Penal populism and the misconception of the
legislators
• The intention of the legislators were to impose hrsher punishment to
create fear
• Does extreme punishment really works ? [ attitude of the court,
witnesses]
• Was special powers act a success in dealing black market or hoarding?
• Penal populism and the recent legislative trend ( fixing minimum
punishment, criminalizing civil wrongs, disproportionately harsher
punishment, how crime and punishment is political, how government
considers it as a panacea, how this is a global issue, how the focus of
our penal policy needs to be shifted, 51, 21, witnesses, penal
populism in judiciary, the recent hike in death sentences)
Special tribunal
• Offences under Special Powers Act and some other acts mentioned in the
schedule of the act is exclusively triable by special tribunal
• Sessions judge, additional sessions and assistant sessions judge shall be the
special tribunal
• The sessions judge may transfer cases
• Police officer not below the rank of SI will submit investigation report.
• The trial will be summary { judicial attitude]
• Special tribunal may pass any sentence [ even a joint district judge may pass
death sentence when acting as the capacity of a special tribunal)
• Crpc applicable
• Appeals lie to the HCD
• All offences are cognizable and non-bailable.
The recent trend of abuse
• During 2007-08, there were provisions for preventive detention in the
emergency rules.
• but after 2009 the practice of preventive detention has been stopped
• Now, section 15 of the special powers act is being widely mis-used for
the same purpose
• The abuse of preventive detention is easily visible, the detention
order itself speaks a lot about the abuse, the idea of preventive
detention itself is eye catching
• but the widespread abuse of section 15 is under-reported
• Even our judiciary is not understanding what to do with this
A glaring example of how section 15 of the
SPA is being mis-used
• https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/এক-ভয়ংকর-সেপ্টেম্বর
• *এক মাপ্টেই ৫৭৮টি নাশকতার মামলা
*পুললপ্টশর ওপর ৯০টি হামলার তথ্য
*এত ‘েন্ত্রাে’, তবু নগর লিল শান্ত
*জীবনযাত্রা লিল একদম স্বাভালবক
*লবএনলপর সনতা-কমীরা আোলম
*আোলমপ্টদর ধরপ্টত লবপ্টশষ অলভযান
• গত সেপ্টেম্বপ্টর ( ২০১৮) ঢাকা শহপ্টর আেপ্টল কী ঘপ্টেলিল? ওই মাপ্টে নাশকতার মামলা
হপ্টযপ্টি ৫৭৮টি। প্রায েব মামলার বাদী পুললশ। এেব মামলার তথ্য বলপ্টি, পুললপ্টশর ওপর
হামলা হপ্টযপ্টি ৯০ বার। ওই মাপ্টে উদ্ধার হপ্টযপ্টি ১ হাজার ১৮৬টি ককপ্টেল ও ৩৭০টি
সপট্রলপ্টবামা।পুললপ্টশর ওপর এমন হামলা এব়ং ককপ্টেল-সপট্রলপ্টবামা উদ্ধাপ্টরর এই ে়ংখ্যা
অতীপ্টতর েব সরকর্ড িালিপ্টযপ্টি। সয বিরগুপ্টলাপ্টত শহরময জ্বালাও-সপািাও আর ে়ংঘাত
লিল, তখ্প্টনা পুললপ্টশর ওপর হামলার অলভপ্টযাপ্টগ এর অপ্টধডক মামলাও হযলন।আর এ বিপ্টরর
সেপ্টেম্বপ্টর শহরময পুললপ্টশর ওপর এত হামলা, েলহ়ংেতা হপ্টলও লকিু ই সের পাযলন ঢাকা
শহপ্টরর মানুষ। জীবনযাত্রা লিল একদম স্বাভালবক।
২০১৮
• সেপ্টেম্বর িািাও গত অপ্টটাবর, নপ্টভম্বপ্টরও নাশকতার মামলা হপ্টযপ্টি। অপ্টটাবপ্টর ৭৬টি ও
নপ্টভম্বপ্টর ৪৩টি নাশকতা মামলার তথ্য পাওযা সগপ্টি। চললত মাপ্টেও মামলা করার এ ধারা
চলপ্টি। গত সেপ্টেম্বর সথ্প্টক ১৪ লর্প্টেম্বর পযডন্ত এেব মামলায লবএনলপ-জামাযাত ও এর
অঙ্গে়ংগঠপ্টনর ১ হাজার ৫০৯ জন সনতা-কমীপ্টক সেপ্তার কপ্টর ঢাকার লেএমএম আদালপ্টত
হালজর কপ্টরপ্টি পুললশ। এর মপ্টধয সেপ্টেম্বপ্টরর নাশকতার মামলায সেপ্তার হওযা আোলমর
ে়ংখ্যা িয শতালধক। পুললশ প্রলতপ্টবদন লদপ্টয আদালতপ্টক বপ্টলপ্টি, এেব সনতা-কমী নাশকতার
েপ্টঙ্গ জলিত। এেব মামলায ঢাকা মহানগপ্টরর ৫০টি থ্ানা এলাকায লবএনলপ ও জামাযাপ্টতর
সনতা-কমীপ্টদর লবরুপ্টদ্ধ সবআইলন জমাপ্টযত, পুললপ্টশর ওপর হামলা, ককপ্টেল লবপ্টফারণ এব়ং
নাশকতার সচষ্টা চালাপ্টনার অলভপ্টযাগ আনা হপ্টযপ্টি। ঢাকা মহানগর পুললশ ও ঢাকার মুখ্য
মহানগর হালকম আদালত েূত্র সথ্প্টক এেব তথ্য পাওযা সগপ্টি।
• পুললপ্টশর করা মামলার নলথ্ সথ্প্টক লহোব কপ্টর সেপ্টেম্বপ্টর ঢাকায কপ্টযক শ ককপ্টেল
লবপ্টফারপ্টণর তথ্য পাওযা যায। তপ্টব এেব মামলার কাগপ্টজ ককপ্টেল লবপ্টফারপ্টণর সযেব
ঘেনাস্থল উপ্টেখ্ করা হপ্টযপ্টি, গত এক মাপ্টে এ রকম ৩৪টি মামলার ঘেনাস্থল েপ্টরজলমপ্টন
ঘুপ্টর ককপ্টেল লবপ্টফারণ, জমাপ্টযত বা নাশকতার তথ্য পাওযা যাযলন।
• এ বযাপাপ্টর বক্তবয জানপ্টত সচপ্টয েরােলর সযাগাপ্টযাগ করা হপ্টল ঢাকা মহানগর পুললপ্টশর
একালধক উচ্চপদস্থ কমডকতড া সকাপ্টনা কথ্া বা সকাপ্টনা রকম মন্তবয করপ্টত রালজ হনলন।
• ৩০ সেপ্টেম্বর ককপ্টেল লবপ্টফারপ্টণর অলভপ্টযাপ্টগ লশল্পাঞ্চল থ্ানার উপপলরদশডক
(এেআই) সমাস্তালিজুর রহমান লবএনলপর ১৪৫ জন সনতার নাম উপ্টেখ্ কপ্টর মামলা
কপ্টরন। মামলায লেকদার লেএনলজ পাপ্টের োমপ্টন সবলা সোযা লতনোয ককপ্টেল
লবপ্টফারপ্টণর অলভপ্টযাগ আনা হয। অথ্চ লেকদার লেএনলজ পাপ্টের কমীরা ওই
ঘেনার কথ্া স্মরণ করপ্টত পাপ্টরনলন। এই পাপ্টের একজন কমডচারী বপ্টল ন, ‘আমাপ্টদর
পাপ্টের োমপ্টন ৩০ সেপ্টেম্বর সকাপ্টনা ককপ্টেল সিাপ্টেলন।’
• ঢাকার একজন েহকারী কলমশনার নাম প্রকাশ না করার শপ্টতড বপ্টলন, েব এলাকার
লবএনলপ-জামাযাপ্টতর সনতাপ্টদর তাললকা তাাঁপ্টদর হাপ্টতই আপ্টি। েম্প্রলত পুললপ্টশর ততলর
করা নাগলরক তথ্যভান্ডাপ্টর (লেআইএমএে) নাম ধপ্টর খ্ুাঁজপ্টল তাাঁপ্টদর পূণাড ঙ্গ পলরচয
চপ্টল আপ্টে। এেব বযবহার কপ্টরই পুললশ মামলাগুপ্টলা করপ্টি। স্থানীয রাজননলতক
সনতারাও মামলা করার সেপ্টত্র ভূ লমকা রাখ্প্টিন।
• ঘেনা না ঘেপ্টলও মামলা হপ্টে, এই কলল্পত ঘেনার উৎে কী—জানপ্টত চাইপ্টল ওই
কমডকতড া বপ্টলন, পুপ্টরাপ্টনা রাজননলতক ে়ংঘাপ্টতর মামলাগুপ্টলার ওপর নাম, তালরখ্ ও
ঘেনাস্থল বদপ্টল নতু ন মামলাগুপ্টলা করা হপ্টে। অপ্টনকো অলনোয তাাঁ প্টদর এ কাজ
করপ্টত হপ্টে জালনপ্টয লতলন বপ্টলন, ঊর্ধ্ডতনপ্টদর লনপ্টদডপ্টশই মামলা হপ্টে।
• Click on this link and you will be surprised
• https://www.prothomalo.com/topic/গাপ্টযলব-মামলা
• Section 15 , sabotage , punishment death or life imprisonment. No
conviction , but pretrial jail is almost inevitable
• The declining state of independence of judiciary
• The casino raid – should we call it a judicial crossfire?
• Why should the government in power use preventive detention when
you can file gayebi mamla ?
• Any questions?
Selected reading
• https://bdjls.org/research-monograph-preventive-detention-and-
violation-of-human-rights-bangladesh-perspective/
• Special Powers Act DLR publications
Recommended watch for law students
• Movies - A few good men, 12 angry men, My cousin Vinny, Murder in the first, Judgment at Nuremberg, To

kill a mockingbird, The accused, Primal fear, The Verdict, A time to Kill, Witness for the Prosecution, In the

Name of the Father, Paths of glory, The trial of the Chicago seven, the client, compulsion (1956), Nothing

but the truth, Marshal, legally blonde, Bollywood- Jolly LLB, Pink

• Tv Series- The people vs O. J Sympson, Better Call Saul, Goliath, The Devil Next Door.
• Documentaries - RBG, the staircase, Making a murderer, 13th, the thin blue line, The central parl five,

The trials of gabriel fernandez, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.