<%-- Page Title--%> Law Week <%-- End Page Title--%>

July 13, 2003 

Independent anti-graft body bill introduced

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed has introduced in the Jatiya Sangsad a bill seeking to form an independent anti-corruption commission. Earlier on Monday, the cabinet approved the Anti-Corruption Commission Bill, 2003. The commission will impartially investigate the offences of corruption and grant sanction for trial. The bill proposed that the commission would consist of three commissioners, among whom one would be nominated as its chairman by the president. The president will appoint the three commissioners from among six choices to be made by a selection committee. The selection committee will be composed of the finance minister, the law minister, two judges each from the Appellate Division and the High Court Division of the Supreme Court as nominated by the chief justice, the comptroller and auditor general and the chairman of the Public Service Commission. The commissioners of the proposed commission will be drawn from among people having at least 20 years' experience in the fields of law, education, administration, judiciary or disciplined forces. They will be appointed on a four-year term. The commission, to be headquartered in Dhaka, will be able to open its branches at any other places, if need be. The bill also proposed abolition of the Bureau of Anti-corruption (BAC) from the day the new law comes into effect. The proposed commission will investigate graft charges, lodge and conduct cases, recommend the president on relevant legal issues, carry out research on curbing corruption and build awareness against corruption. Later the Bill has been sent to the parliamentary standing committee concerned for scrutiny within 10 days. -Daily Star, 12 July.

Two to die for killing Ratna

The Speedy Trial Tribunal-1, Dhaka, has sentenced two persons to death and two others to life imprisonment in the baby Ratna murder case. Mohammad Rubel and Mohammad Yunus were awarded the death penalty and the tribunal also fined them Tk 50,000 each. The convicts sentenced to life imprisonment are Mohammad Ibrahim and Zakir Hossain. Zakir has been absconding since the murder of Ratna inside an under construction building at south Manda under Sabujbagh thana on August 8, 2002. The accused killed rickshaw-puller Enamul Khan's daughter Ratna to take revenge on the family, following an enmity that developed over a quarrel between two minor playmates. Ratna's mother slapped her playmate Imon triggering a strife between the two families. Imon's brother Rubel along with Yunus, Ibrahim and Zakir killed Ratna by cutting her throat. The tribunal announced the verdict after examining 19 out of the 39 prosecution witnesses. -Law Desk.

Bill to form RAB passed in JS

The parliament has passed an amendment bill to form a special force, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), to improve law and order. The bill will give the Rapid Action Team (RAT) an institutional shape and rename it as the RAB under the existing Armed Police Battalion (APB). The RAB members will be drawn from the army, navy, air force and police. All Rapid Action Battalions will be under the direct control and superintendence of an officer not below the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG) of police or its equivalent in any disciplined force. The amendment bill says the government will have the authority to direct the RAB to investigate any offence at any time. -Law Desk.

CrPC amendment bill passed

The Jatiya Sangsad has passed the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2003. The bill amending section 35 provides for deduction of the period an accused serves in jail custody from the term of imprisonment given by the court. The law also provides that if the total period of custody before conviction is longer than the term of imprisonment, the accused will be considered to have served out the punishment and will be released immediately. -Prothom Alo, 07 July.

BSTI (Amendment) Act 2003 introduced

A bill has been introduced in the Jatiya Sangsad styled 'The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (Amendment) Act, 2003. Deputy Minister for Industries Abdus Salam Pintu introduced the bill proposing stringent rules for violators of product quality rules. The proposed law also provides for the legal framework for abolition of the Department of Agriculture Marketing and Grading and its eventual integration into the BSTI. -Daily Star, 07 July.

Verdict on brothers murder case

A court in Dhaka has sentenced Kamal Pasha, one of the 23 top criminals listed by police, to death for killing two brothers within 30 minutes of each other in Mohammadpur on 5 May, 2000. Pasha was also fined Tk 50,000. The court handed down the judgement in 38 workdays after examining 17 of 29 prosecution witnesses. Pasha called Ribel and Jewel out of their Mohammadpur Housing Estate residence with 30 minutes apart in the morning. He shot Ribel dead in front of Raju Homeo Hall on Tajmahal Road and Jewel at Line-K on Kazi Nazrul Islam Street, both in Moham-madpur. The father of the victims, Amzad Hossain, filed the case with the Mohammadpur Police Station on the day of the killings. The case was transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) of police the following day. The DB submitted the charge sheet to the court on 27 June 2001. The court indicted Pasha on August 19, 2002 and fixed the date for delivering the verdict on completion of cross-examination of witnesses on June 25. -Law Desk.

Bill to appoint PPs through ' PSC soon

The government has undertaken a plan to appoint pubic prosecutors (PPs) in different courts through Public Service Commission (PSC). This was said by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed. He said a bill to this effect will be placed in the next session of the Jatiya Sangsad adding that the new cadre service has been named 'Permanent Legal Service.' Explaining the objectives of such a plan, Moudud Ahmed said public prosecutors were still being appointed on an ad-hoc basis. He also said that the government is very keen to finalise the process of their appointment through the Public Service Commission. -Daily Star, 05 July.

Licensed arms to be returned

The government has asked the deputy commissioners (DC) to return licensed firearms and ammunition deposited during Nov 5-21 last year to their owners. Specific guidelines to the DCs have been given to return the firearms, the handout added. Out of total 1,89,000 licensed firearms, 36,000 were deposited following a government order in Novembers last year.
-Prothom Alo, 02 July.

Charge framed in Rumi suicide case

The Speedy Trial Tribunal, Khulna has framed charge against four accused in the Rumi suicide case. The accused are Rony, Hasan, Taimur and Mizan. The accused molested Rumi at her residence on 4 April this year and gave her father death threat. Immediately after the incident, Rumi committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her bed room. Rumi's father filed a case with the Daulatpur police station accusing Rony, Hasan, Taimur and Mizan. The Investigation Officer (IO) submitted the charge sheet against the accused on 30 April. -Daily Star, 08 July.

Female workers to go abroad soon

The ban on sending female workers abroad is set to go with the government sorting out the details before giving permission to recruiting agencies. The ban in 1998 followed reports of misconduct and breach of job contract by foreign employers and recruiting agents. The government has prepared a policy guideline detailing various pre-conditions and criteria for getting permission to send female workers abroad, mainly to oil rich Middle Eastern countries, as domestic help or baby-sitters. The guideline would be published very soon, and applications would be formally sought then from qualified recruiting agents for the permission. As per the guideline, a recruiting agent has to have a training centre in Dhaka and maintain an office for 24 hours in the host country so that it can promptly take legal actions in case of any untoward incidents. Female workers will have to be above 35 years and the ones with spouses will get priority. The job contract has to be for more than two years covered with insurance. The employer shall also bear the first time home traveling cost of workers. Monthly salary of a worker must be above 400 Saudi riyals with free food and accommodation facilities. -Daily Star, 06 July.