"This stringent punishment is being determined not just because our country has terrorism problems, because we can get more international cooperation in fighting terrorism if we promulgated this ordinance," Mainul told the press after holding a high-level meeting at the law ministry yesterday.

The meeting discussed the draft of the ordinance. Home ministry officials, Bangladesh Bank officials and officials from the intelligence departments of the defence and the police participated in the meeting. Mainul asked the participants of the meeting to give their opinions on the draft in writing.

"This is going to be a tough law. We are carefully framing it so that innocent people are not harassed by the law and it is not misused," he told the press.

"Under this ordinance, there will be no option of detaining anyone without trial. Since we want to conduct speedy trials under this law, we do not want delays through preventive detention as terrorism is a serious crime," Mainul added.

"Those who will investigate such cases under this law will have to take the matter with utmost seriousness," he pointed out.

The Anti-terrorism Ordinance 2007 will define terrorists, terrorist acts, and terrorist organisations and prescribe punishments including the death sentence and life imprisonment.

Under this ordinance, special tribunals will be set up to complete the trials within six months.

Those who finance terrorist groups will also be tried under this ordinance. The minimum punishment under the ordinance will be a five-year imprisonment.

The ordinance also proposes to form a three-member advisory board to review appeals of people arrested under the ordinance.

Two incumbent judges of the Supreme Court and one joint secretary-level government official will comprise the advisory board and the government will appoint one of them as its chairman.

According to the draft, it will penalise those who indulge in terrorist acts in the name of religion and present themselves as heroes for such activities as well as those who assist in such activities. Spewing hatred against believers of different faiths will also be considered as terrorism.

According to the proposed law, any act that poses a threat to the sovereignty, unity, integrity, or security of Bangladesh is an act of terrorism. Use of bombs, dynamite, other explosives, inflammable substances, firearms, poisons, harmful gases or any other chemicals used in a way which may injure or kill people to create public panic will also be considered as terrorist acts.

Damaging public or private property, hindering supply of materials essential for people's life, taking any person as hostage, threatening one with death, assaulting one physically or creating public panic by such activities have also been defined as terrorist acts.

Besides, forcing the government to do or abstain from any act is included in the category of terrorist acts.

Damage of equipment used for the country's defence or any equipment used by government organisations will also be treated as a terrorist act.