CAT: A Study on Bangladesh Compliance The language of this Article is taken verbatim from Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It reflects Bangladesh’s endorsement of an international standard prohibiting torture. Later, Bangladesh explicitly exhibited its international commitment by acceding to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) on October 5, 1998. As we have seen earlier, under Article 4 of the CAT, each State Party to this Convention must ensure not only that all acts of torture as well as attempts to commit torture are offences under its criminal law, but also they are punishable under appropriate laws. Although the prevailing laws in Bangladesh do not have any precise definition of torture, there are a number of laws that penalise conduct amounting to torture. For example, the Police Act of 186124 provides that every police officer who shall offer any unwarrantable personal violence to any person in his custody shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding three months’ pay or to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a period not exceeding three months or to both.25 However, this provision does not apply to Dhaka Metropolitan area,26 Chittagong 24 Act No. V of 1861. Section 29. 26 See, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, 1976 (Ordinance No. III of 1976), Section 3. 25 29