(May 11, 2011) The Bangladeshi Parliament passed the Plant Quarantine Act 2011 on March 20, 2011. This Law provides for the controlled export and import of plants, microbes, and soil. It strengthens the authority of the government to take steps to prevent the introduction of alien insects and diseases into the country.
The new Law replaces a prior statute, the Destructive Insect and Pest Act 1914, which was thought to provide inadequate power to Bangladesh's quarantine authorities to protect the country's modern agricultural system.
The Law prescribes a maximum punishment of two years of imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 Bangladeshi Taka (aboutUS$7,000) for producing, carrying, or distributing prohibited plants or related products. (Plant Quarantine Bill, 2011 Passed in JS, BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA (Mar. 20, 2011).)