THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT, 1923

THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT, 1923 (ACT NO. XIX OF 1923).[2nd April, 1923]1An  Act  to  consolidate  and  amend  the  law  in  Bangladesh  relating  to  official secrets. Preamble2[* * *] WHEREAS it is expedient that the law relating to official secrets in Bangladesh should be consolidated and amended; It is hereby enacted as follows:­ Short title, extent and application.

1.(1) This Act may be called the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

(2)  It  extends to  the  whole of  Bangladesh, and  applies also  to  all citizens of  Bangladesh and  persons in  the  service of 3[the  Republic]wherever they may be.Definitions2.  In  this  Act,  unless  there is  anything  repugnant in  the  subject or context,­

(1) any reference to a place belonging to Government includes a place occupied by  any  department of  the  Government, whether the  place is or is not actually vested in Government;

(2)  expressions referring to  communicating or  receiving include any communicating or  receiving, whether in  whole or  in  part, and  whether the sketch, plan, model, article, note, document, or information itself or the  substance, effect or  description thereof  only  be  communicated or received; expressions referring to  obtaining or  retaining any  sketch, plan, model,  article, note  or  document, include the  copying or  causing to  be  copied of  the  whole or  any  part  of  any  sketch, plan, model, article, note, or  document; and expressions referring to  the communication of  any  sketch, plan, model,  article, note  or  document include the  transfer or  transmission of  the  sketch, plan, model, article, note or document; 4[* * *]

(3) “document” includes part of a document;

(4) “Model” includes design, pattern and specimen;

(5)  “munitions  of  war” includes the  whole  or  any  part  of  any  ship, submarine, aircraft, tank or  similar engine, arms and  ammunition, torpedo, or  mine intended or  adopted for  use  in  war,  and  any  other article, material, or  device, whether actual  or  proposed, intended for such use;

(6)  “Office under Government” includes any office or employment in rounder any department of the Government; (7) “Photograph” includes an undeveloped film or plate;

(8) “prohibited place” means­ (a)  any  work of  defence, arsenal, naval, military or  air  force establishment or  station, mine, minefield, camp, ship or  aircraft belonging to, or occupied by or on behalf of, Government, any military telegraph or telephone so belonging or occupied, any wireless or signal station or office so belonging or occupied and any factory, dockyard or other place so  belonging or  occupied and  used for  the  purpose of building, repairing, making or  storing any  munitions of  war, or  any sketches, plans, models or  documents relating thereto, or  for  the purpose of getting any metals, oil or minerals of use in time of war; (b) any place not belonging to Government where any munitions of war or  any  sketches, models, plans or  documents relating thereto, are being made, repaired, gotten or stored under contract with, or with any person on  behalf of,  Government, or  otherwise on  behalf of Government; (c)  any  place belonging  to  or  used for  the  purpose of  Government which is for the time being declared by the Government, by notification in the official Gazette, to be a prohibited place for the purposes of this Act  on  the  ground that  information with  respect thereto, or  damage thereto, would be  useful to  an  enemy, and  to  which a  copy of  the notification in  respect thereof has  been affixed in  English and  in 5[Bengali]; (d)  any railway, road, way or  channel, or  other means of communication by  land  or  water (including  any  works or  structures being part  thereof or  connected therewith) or  any  place used for  gas, water or  electricity works or  other works  for  purposes of  a  public character, or  any  place  where any  munitions of  war  or  any  sketches, models, plans, or documents relating thereto, are being made, repaired or  stored otherwise than on  behalf of  Government, which is  for  the time  being declared by  the  Government, by  notification in  the  official Gazette, to  be  a  prohibited place for  the  purposes of  this  Act  on  the ground that  information with  respect thereto, or  the  destruction or obstruction thereof, or  interference therewith, would be  useful to  an enemy, and  to  which a  copy  of  the  notification in  respect thereof has been affixed in English and in 6[Bengali]: Provided that  where for  declaring a  prohibited place under sub clause(c)  or  subclasses (d)  a  notification in  the  official Gazette is  not considered desirable in  the  interest of  the  security of  the  State, such declaration may  be  made by  an  order a  copy  or  notice of  which shall be  prominently displayed at  the  point of  entry to,  or  at  conspicuous place near, the prohibited place;

(9)  “Sketch” includes any photograph or other mode of representing any place or thing; and

(10)  “Superintendent of  Police” includes any  police officer of  a  like  or superior rank, and any person upon  whom the  powers of  a Superintendent of  Police are  for  the  purposes of  this  Act  conferred by the Government. Penalties forspying3.(1) If  any  person  for  any  purpose prejudicial to  the  safety or interests of the State­(a) approaches, inspects, passes over or is in the vicinity of, or enters, any prohibited place; or(b)  makes  any  sketch,  plan, model, or  note  which is  calculated to  be or  might be  or  is  intended to  be,  directly or  indirectly, useful to  an enemy; or