Print View

1The Penal Code, 1860

( ACT NO. XLV OF 1860 )

Chapter VI

OF OFFENCES AGAINST THE STATE

Waging or attempting to wage war, or abeting waging of war, against Bangladesh
121. Whoever wages war against Bangladesh, or attempts to wage such war, or abets the waging of such war, shall be punished with death, or 2[imprisonment] for life, and shall also be liable to fine.Illustration
 
 
A joins an insurrection against Bangladesh. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
Conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121.
3[121A. Whoever within or without Bangladesh conspires to commit any of the offences punishable by section 121, or to deprive Bangladesh of the sovereignty of her territories or of any part thereof, or conspires to overawe, by means of criminal force or the show of criminal force, the Government, shall be punished with 4[imprisonment for life] or with imprisonment of either description which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.]
 
 
Explanation.-To constitute a conspiracy under this section, it is not necessary that any act or illegal omission shall take place in pursuance.
Collecting arms, etc., with intention of waging war against Bangladesh
122. Whoever collects men, arms or ammunition or otherwise prepares to wage war with the intention of either waging or being prepared to wage war against Bangladesh, shall be punished with 5[imprisonment] for life or imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war
123. Whoever, by any act, or by any illegal omission, conceals the existence of a design to wage war against Bangladesh, intending by such concealment to facilitate, or knowing it to be likely that such concealment will facilitate the waging of such war, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Condemnation of the creation of the State, and advocacy of abolition of its sovereignty
6[123A. (I) Whoever, with or without Bangladesh, with intent to influence, or knowing it to be likely that he will influence, any person or the whole or any section of the public, in a manner likely to be prejudicial to the safety of Bangladesh, or to endanger the sovereignty of Bangladesh in respect of all or any of the territories lying within its borders, shall by words, spoken or written, or by signs or visible representation, condemn the creation of Bangladesh 7[in pursuance of the Proclamation of Independence on the twenty-sixth day of March, 1971], or advocate the curtailment or abolition of the sovereignty of Bangladesh in respect of all or any of the territories lying within its borders, whether by amalgamation with the territories of neighboring States or otherwise, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine.
 
 
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, when any person is proceeded against under this section, it shall be lawful for any Court before which he may be produced in the course of the investigation or trial, to make such order as it may think fit in respect of his movements, of his association or communication with other persons, and of his activities in regard to dissemination of news, propagation of opinions, until such time as the case is finally decided.]
 
 
(3) Any Court which is a Court of appeal or of revision in relation to the Court mentioned in sub-section (2) may also make an order under that sub-section.]
Assaulting President, The Government, etc., with intent to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power
124. Whoever, with the intention of inducing or compelling the President of Bangladesh, or 8[the Government], to exercise or refrain from exercising in any manner any of the lawful powers of the President, or 9[the Government],
 
 
assaults, or wrongfully restrains, or attempts wrongfully to restrain, or overawes, by means of criminal force or the show of criminal force, or attempts so to overawe, the President, 10[* * *],
 
 
shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Sedition
11[124A. Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law shall be punished with 12[imprisonment for life] or any shorter term, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.]
 
 
Explanation 1.-The expression "disaffection" includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity.
 
 
Explanation 2.-Comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the Government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section.
 
 
Explanation 3.-Comments expressing disapprobation of the administrative or other action of the Government without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section.
Waging war against any Asiatic Power in alliance with Bangladesh
125. Whoever wages war against the Government of any Asiatic power in alliance or at peace with Bangladesh or attempts to wage such war, or abets the waging of such war, shall be punished with 13[imprisonment] for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.
Committing depredation on territories of Power at peace with Bangladesh
126. Whoever commits depredation, or makes preparations to commit depredation, on the territories of any Power in alliance or at peace with Bangladesh, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine and to forfeiture of any property used or intended to be used in committing such depredation, or acquired by such depredation.
Receiving property taken by war or depredation mentioned in sections 125 and 126
127. Whoever receives any property knowing the same to have been taken in the commission of any of the offences mentioned in sections 125 and 126, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine and to forfeiture of the property so received.
Public servant voluntarily allowing prisoner of State or war to escape
128. Whoever, being a public servant and having the custody of any State prisoner or prisoner of war, voluntarily allows such prisoner to escape from any place in which such prisoner is confined, shall be punished with 14[imprisonment] for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Public servant negligently suffering such prisoner to escape
129. Whoever, being a public servant and having the custody of any State prisoner or prisoner of war, negligently suffers such prisoner to escape from any place of confinement in
 
 
which such prisoner is confined, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Aiding escape of, rescuing or harbouring such prisoner
130. Whoever knowingly aids or assists any State prisoner or prisoner of war in escaping from lawful custody, or rescues or attempts to rescue any such prisoner, or harbours or conceals any such prisoner who has escaped from lawful custody, or offers or attempts to offer any resistance to the recapture of such prisoner shall be punished with 15[imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine.
 
 
Explanation.-A State prisoner or prisoner of war, who is permitted to be at large on his parole within certain limits in Bangladesh, is said to escape from lawful custody if he goes beyond the limits within which he is allowed to be at large.

  • 1
    Throughout this Act, except otherwise provided, the words “Bangladesh”, “Government”, “the Government” and “Taka” were substituted, for the words “Pakistan”, “Central or any Provincial Government” or “Central Government or any Provincial Government” or “Central Government” or “the Provincial Government” or “Provincial Government” and “rupees” respectively by section 3 and 2nd Schedule of the Bangladesh Laws (Revision And Declaration) Act, 1973 (Act No. VIII of 1973).
  • 2
    The word “imprisonment” was substituted, for the word “transportation” by section 9 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance No. XLI of 1985)
  • 3
    Section 121A was inserted by section 4 of the Indian Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1870 (Act No. XXVII of 1870)
  • 4
    The words “imprisonment for life” were substituted, for the words “transportation for life or any shorter term” by section 10 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance No. XLI of 1985)
  • 5
    The word “imprisonment” was substituted, for the word “transportation” by section 11 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance No. XLI of 1985)
  • 6
    Section 123A was inserted by section 2 of the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Act, 1950 (Act No. LXXI of 1950)
  • 7
    The words “in pursuance of the Proclamation of Independence on the twenty-sixth day of March, 1971” were substituted, for the words, comma and figure “by virtue of the partition of India which was effected on the fourteenth day of August, 1947” by section 3 and 2nd Schedule of the Bangladesh Laws (Revision And Declaration) Act, 1973 (Act No. VIII of 1973)
  • 8
    The words “the Government” were substituted, for the words “the Governor of any Province” by section 3 and 2nd Schedule of the Bangladesh Laws (Revision And Declaration) Act, 1973 (Act No. VIII of 1973)
  • 9
    The words “the Government” were substituted, for the word “Governor” by section 3 and 2nd Schedule of the Bangladesh Laws (Revision And Declaration) Act, 1973 (Act No. VIII of 1973)
  • 10
    The words “or Governor” were omitted by section 3 and 2nd Schedule of the Bangladesh Laws (Revision And Declaration) Act, 1973 (Act No. VIII of 1973)
  • 11
    Section 124A was substituted, for section 124A by section 4 of the Indian Penal Coe Amendment Act, 1898 (Act No. IV of 1898)
  • 12
    The words “imprisonment for life” were substituted, for the words “transportation for life or any shorter term” by section 12 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance No. XLI of 1985)
  • 13
    The word “imprisonment” was substituted, for the word “transportation” by section 13 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance No. XLI of 1985)
  • 14
    The word “imprisonment” was substituted, for the word “transportation” by section 13 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance No. XLI of 1985)
  • 15
    The word “imprisonment” was substituted, for the word “transportation” by section 13 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance No. XLI of 1985)
Copyright © 2019, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division
Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs