are concerned, the maximum punishment, i.e., imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years plus fine, is prescribed for “voluntarily causing grievous hurt with the intention to extort property or to constrain to an illegal act”. This offence may in certain circumstances cover the offence of torture. If it is so, the punishment is adequate as per the obligation of Bangladesh under Article 4 of the CAT. But in Bangladesh most of the occasions of torture fall under the offences of “voluntarily causing hurt with the intention to extort confession or to compel restoration of property” and “voluntarily causing grievous hurt with the intention to extort confession or to compel restoration of property”. The former offence carries a punishment of maximum seven years’ imprisonment plus fine whereas the latter carries a punishment of maximum three years’ imprisonment plus fine. The definition of grievous hurt, as stated before, being very restrictive, most occasions of torture fall under the offence of ‘voluntarily causing hurt with the intention to extort confession or to compel restoration of property’. The punishment for this offence is very limited and falls remarkably below the international standard set in Article 4 of the CAT. Similarly, certain acts of torture can be punished under the penal provision dealing with wrongful confinement to extort confession.56 However, this provision is very difficult to apply 56 38 Section 348 of the Penal Code.

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