Dhaka, March 20 -- The advisory council of the interim government has approved a revision of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, setting the maximum sentence for soliciting a sexual relationship with promises of marriage at seven years in prison.

The decision was taken at an advisory council meeting on Thursday, according to Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief advisor.

He said in a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, "A revision of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act has been approved by the cabinet today. Our law advisor spoke in detail about this last week. After his briefing, we asked a number of women's groups for their opinions."

"Every effort has been taken to accommodate their opinions. In...