Draft of Antiquities Act to be placed in Cabinet today

Declaring the archaeological heritage sites as precious assets of the country, the government is likely to enact a new law The Antiquities Act, 2024 keeping the provision of a 10-year jail term or Tk 10 lakh fine or both for damaging, destroying, breaking, destroying or altering property.

The proposed law also suggested to operate mobile court under the direction of the Director General of the Department of Archaeology and Deputy Commissioner to protect the property.

The draft of the proposed law is likely to be tabled before the Cabinet meeting to be held on Monday (today) with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her Tejgaon office, according to the Cabinet Division sources.
In the meeting, the draft of the National Academy of Planning and Development Act, 2024 and some other draft laws will also be placed for its final approval.

According to the Cabinet Division sources, in absence of a time-befitting law in the country, preservation of various archaeological heritages continues to suffer. Many monuments and sites have been destroyed. Many historic buildings have been destroyed. Many resources are being lost in the loopholes of the law enacted during the British period.

In this situation, the initiative to promulgate a new law was taken in 2015 by repealing the old law to protect and preserve priceless resources and cultural heritages. The law was drafted after undergoing various processes during 2016-2019.

Earlier, some observations were made from the Cabinet Division. After scrutinizing those, the Cultural Affairs Ministry handed the draft law back to the Cabinet Division for placing before the Cabinet.

In the draft of The Antiquities Act, 2024, the provision of completely banning the business of antiquities has been suggested while business of replicas of antiquities will be allowed with the licence of the concerned authority.

To prevent the smuggling of state property, no property can be sent outside the country for exhibition and research purposes without the permission of the government, according to the draft law.

It stated that any person contravening this order shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to Tk 2 lakh or with both.

In addition, the new law will specify the maximum protected area or property zone and special protected area of immovable property. No construction of multi-storied buildings, brick kilns, factories, business establishments, roads will be allowed in the specially protected areas. Also, no excavation can be done without the permission of the Department of Archaeology, it stated.

According to the draft law, the market value of artifacts or objects found in the country and stored in museums cannot be determined. Those will be considered as valuable assets.

But it stipulates that the compensation value can be determined in case of compensation to the owner of the relevant property. No one can sell or collect wealth at the individual or organizational level.

However, different museums owned by the government or under the control of the government will be able to collect the relics by informing the Department of Archaeology. If any person or organization has assets derived from inheritance or any other source that is not illegal. Then evidence of those assets should be given to the Department. They can be stored but not transferred.

No movable or immovable property or any part of property can be sent abroad without the governments permission. Any deviation from this will be considered as smuggling under the Customs Act, it added.

The law was amended in 1976. Thats also not enough. Thats why the new law was initiated.

Meanwhile, the proposal to approve the draft of Planning and Development Academy Act, 2024 stated that academy was established to provide training to build skilled manpower for the purpose of formulating and implementing the countrys development plan.