Government amends anti-terrorism ordinance to ban entities involved in terrorism
PARBATTA NEWS DESK
The Council of Advisers has approved a draft ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act to allow the government to ban individuals or organisations involved in terrorist activities, including their operations in cyberspace.
The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 was approved at a special meeting on Sunday chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, held at the State Guest House Jamuna, according to a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.
The original Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 was enacted to prevent specific acts of terrorism and ensure the effective prosecution of those responsible. While the law previously allowed for the listing of individuals and entities suspected of terrorism in a government schedule, it did not include any provision to formally prohibit the operations of such entities.
The government has now moved to address this gap.
According to the meeting summary, the amendment was deemed necessary to make the existing law more effective and relevant in the current context. The revised ordinance introduces provisions that enable the government to ban any entity involved in terrorism, not only by name but also by restricting its activities and presence on digital platforms.
Under the new provisions, the government may list such entities in the schedule and issue official gazette notifications to prohibit their operations. The updated law also allows for the suppression of online and social media content that promotes or supports terrorist entities.
