Foreign prisoners suffer for lack of legal aid
Most of the foreign prisoners in Bangladesh and its neighbouring countries
languish in jail due to lack of access to legal aid. In most cases,
the foreign citizens imprisoned belong to lower income group and lack
financial ability and moral support to {eek legal aid. Moreover, it
becomes hard for |hem to seek legal support in a foreign land even if
they can afford it. "There are a number of cases where a person
remained imprisoned even 10 years after serving their prison term,"
said Fazlul Huq, executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services
Trust (Blast) on a roundtable on "Foreign Prisoners and Access
to Justice" in the capital. "At least 64 Bangladeshi fishermen
are languishing in a jail of West Bengal," said Justice DK Basu,
chairman, Legal Aid Services-West Bengal (Lasweb). He added 37 of the
Bangladeshi nationals are languishing in Midnapore jail of West Bengal.
Sixty-two Indians are detained in Rajshahi and 46 in Jessore jails.
Dr Kamal Hossain, chairperson, Blast, said no human being is beyond
the purview of human rights. All international conventions and the constitution
itself guarantee human rights not only to the citizens but to any person
of any country, as well. He said even an hour of illegal detention denies
a person human rights. -Daily Star, 9 August.
Draft
of consumer rights law okayed
The government yesterday approved in principle the draft law with proposes
titled 'Protection of Consumers' Rights' to protect consumers' rights
that proposes up to ten years in prison for selling adulterated and
inferior quality products. A special tribunal to try the accused responsible
for selling and producing fake commodities injurious to public health
.The cabinet meeting with Prime Minister sent the draft to the law ministry
for further scrutiny. According to the draft law, a national consumer
council will be set up to formulate policies to protect consumer{' rights.
A consumer bureau will investigate allegations by consumers and if it
finds any proof, the matter will be sent to tribunal. - Daily Star,
10 August.
Police
to probm all Rab custodial deaths
The police will investigate deaths in the custody of Rapid Action Battalion
(Rab) and the guilty will be punished, Rab chief Anwarul Iqbal said
8 August'04. "If autopsy or forensic reports show the people were
killed in custody, unnatural death cases will be turned into murder
cases," director general of Rab, told reporters in the Rab headquarters
in Uttara. But in the recent time an increasing number of deaths in
the custody of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), raids on the houses of
people including retired army and police officials and alleged misbehaviour
with their family members have prompted sharp reaction among membezs
of the public. In all cases of custodial deaths, the victims' family
members alleged the Rab tortured them to death, an allegation Rab officials
and the home ministry denied routinely. According to press reports and
human rights and legal aid organisations, nine people have died so far
in Rab custody or after arrest. The home ministry recently empowered
the Rab to take any criminal on remand. The step followed reported police
refusal to allow Rab personnel to take to their office and quiz any
person on police remand. The crime-combat force formed through a March
1 government order launched formal operations on June 21. Rab collects
information and evidence before launching a drive against criminals.
The force is staffed with 4,525 members of the 5,521 posts and 3,183
of them have trainmd in anti-crime combat, with the members drawn from
six forces -- army, air force, navy, police, paramilitary forces (BDR)
and ansar. Coastguard will also be included in Rab. Rab now run checks
at three international airports to control trafficking in women and
children and detect fake passports and visa. -Law Desk.
Militant
hunt planned for blanket security
The law enforcement agencies are likely to launch a massive hunt for
militants and criminals ahead of the 13th Saarc (South Asian Association
for Zegional Cooperation) Summit in Dhaka to ensure foolproof security
during the meet scheduled for January 9-11 next. Sources at the second
inter-ministerial meeting on security of the Saarc summit held yesterday
said the militant hunt would be launched to allay possible concern of
foreign delegates to the summit over the security situation in the coun|ry.
-Daily Star,12 August.
Manik
murder
The Khulna Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on 12 August ordered
a gazette notification of the charge-sheeted people to confiscate their
property in the case of a bomb attack that killed journalist Manik Chandra
Saha. Sources said the CMM court also ordmred sending the case to the
district judge court for the trial without fixing any date in this regard.
The judge's court might send the case to the speedy tribunal court,
the sources added. The CMM court, however, did not take any decision
regarding the Manik murder case on Thursday as it re-fixed the date
to review all the papers of the case on August 24. -New Age,13 August.
