Bangladesh Parliament on Tuesday passed a controversial bill to provide lifelong special security to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members, amid boycott of the House by the opposition BNP.
The bill, 'Father of the Nation's Family Members Security Act 2009' was unanimously passed by the House, dominated by the Awami League-led grand alliance.
As per the law, Prime Minister Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, daughters of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and their children will be provided lifelong security, by Special Security Force (SSF), the Daily Star newspaper reported.
The main opposition BNP, now boycotting parliament, termed the bill "unprecedented".
The legislation is similar to a law enacted by the previous Awami League government in 2001 and scrapped by BNP-led four-party alliance later that year.
Shamsul Haq Tuku, State minister for Home, proposed the bill, which was passed unanimously by the House in the presence of Hasina.
The Awami League government has said the law is needed as Hasina, Rehana and their family members face threats to their security.
Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur along with most of his immediate family were assassinated in a military putsch on Aug 15, 1975.
Currently, Hasina's son lives in the United States and daughter in Canada, and Rehana's two daughters and a son are settled in the UK, the report said. PTI
