Judiciary separation takes 6 years
Complete separation of the judiciary from the executive will
take six years. This was said by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Moudud Ahmed. He said that the government will need the time
to replace some 600 magistrates, now exercising judicial functions,
by judicial officers. Legal instruments for the process will, however,
be put in place within the next three months. The judicial service commission
rules have been formulated and the commission has also started functioning.
Besides, drafts for three more rules and amendment to the Code of Criminal
Procedure have also been prepared. The minister said the government
would update the law related to contempt of court and the laws would
not be as harsh as they are now after the amendment, adding that an
amendment bill has already been drafted. - NewAge, 07 June.
Dhaka
not to pay Tk 31cr fine
The government has decided not to pay Tk 31 crore in fine and compensation,
ordered by a Dutch court, for cancelling a controversial deal with one
Netherlands firm for supply of 10,388 computers to Bangladesh under
an Education Ministry project. Terming the Dutch court judgement "one-sided
and unjust," the high-powered Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
at a meeting on Monday asked the ministries of Education, Foreign and
Law, as well as the Economic Relations Division to prepare a position
paper for fighting diplomatic and legal wrangling, officials said. Simultaneously,
the government would also try to negotiate an "out-of-court settlement"
with the Amsterdam-based company Tulip Computers International NV that
allegedly managed last year's domestic court judgement against -New
Age, 08 June.
Registration
(Amend) Bill placed in JS
A bill has been placed in the parliament seeking to make registration
of all kinds of instruments of transfer of property mandatory with the
authorities. Law minister Moudud Ahmed tabled the bill. The mister said
that the passing of the bill would make the land management system adequate
and effective. The bill proposed to amend Section 17 and introduce five
new sections through amending the Registration Act, 1908. The bill proposed
that contract for sale shall be registered within 30 days from the date
of execution failing which the contract shall stand void. The bill said
every instrument of transfer required to be compulsorily registered
under this Act should be written clearly and briefly with particulars
necessary to convey the intention of the parties along with the description
of the property and nature of the transaction. The law minister also
placed two other bills -- the Transfer of Property (Amendment) Bill,
2004 and the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2004 seeking to bring
about momentum in the existing land management system. The three bills
were referred to the standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary
affairs ministry for scrutiny.- Law Desk.
Cabinet
hands case withdrawal
The cabinet has approved in principle a bill seeking to amend the criminal
act of 1958 to empower the proposed independent Anti-Corruption Commission
(ACC) to withdraw a graft case, currently vested with the government.
According to the Criminal Law Amendment Act, graft cases can be tried
by a magistrate's court or special judge's court. The amendment proposes
that those cases will be tried only by a special judge's court, to make
it consistent with the ACC Act. -New Age, 08 June.
Naogaon
SP, two others served notice
Three senior police officials of the Rajshahi division have
asked to explain why they should not be punished for their failure to
arrest Jagrata Muslim Janata leader Bangla Bhai and his associates,
sources in the police department said. The police headquarters has recently
served show-cause notices on Naogaon police superintendent Fazlur Rahman,
additional superintendent Harun-ar-Rashid and assistant superintendent
Yakub Ali. The police headquarter has already suspended the officer-in-charge
of the Raninagar police station for 'negligence'. - New Age, 08
June
Higher
allocation for police
Higher budgetary allocation on the ministry of home affairs
was proposed in the budget for the fiscal 2004-2005 to make police and
other law enforcing agencies stronger and more effective, equipping
them with adequate logistics. This was stated by Finance and Planning
Minister M Saifur Rahman in his budget statement in the Jatiya Sangsad
on Thursday, 9 June in which he announced higher allocation on the home
ministry by Tk 473 crore for the new year. The police department alone
will get an additional allocation of Tk 306 crore next year over their
budget for the current fiscal. The finance minister said the organogram
of the police department was being restructured to make the police force
stronger and more effective. - 11th June, New Age.
Injunction
on Scholastica
Scholastica School in the city has been restricted to realise increased
rate of annual charge and fees from the students by a temporary injunction
issued by a district court. The injunction came upon a petition filed
by a group of guardians of the students. The court also barred the school
authority to take any discriminatory action against the students whose
guardians moved the court till disposal of the case. - UNB, 10 June.
Dhaka
Bank board declared illegal
The Bangladesh Bank has declared the board of directors of Dhaka Bank
illegal and asked the bank to form a new board in line with the Bank
Company Act and a Bangladesh Bank circular. Dhaka Bank formed a 12-member
board at its Annual General Meeting last month, although 11 of the members
have been on the board for more than nine years in a row. The banking
law restricts anyone from becoming a board member who has already held
the position for more than six years in a row. The constitution of the
board prompted the Bangladesh Bank to issue a letter to the Dhaka Bank
to comply with the legal criterion. A similar directive was previously
given to the Prime Bank after 10 of its 13-member board were found to
have served in the capacity for more than six years. The Prime Bank
dropped the members in question, including the chairman and vice-chairman,
and formed a new board on 9th June following the central bank directive.
- Daily Star, 10 June.
