Civil,
defence taskforces to stop illegal logging
The
environment ministry formed four taskforces with civil and defence officials
for four regions in the wake of growing incidents of timber smuggling.
A senior army officer with the rank and status of a lieutenant colonel
or major will lead each taskforce, said an official announcement.
The taskforces will
initially operate in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet, Environment
Minister Tariqul Islam told The Daily Star. The number of the task forces
will be gradually increased, he added. A task force also has an officer
each from Bangladesh Navy, Airforce and Coastguard, a representative
from the deputy commissioner's office, a class one magistrate and an
official from the forest department.
Ministry
sources said formation of the taskforces was a must following frequent
reports of timber smuggling in the forest areas. They expressed the
hope that now smuggling of forest resources, especially timber, can
be checked. The official announcement says the taskforces will carry
out sudden raids on railway stations, roads and highways and waterways
to check illegal timber transportation and take legal action on the
spot. -The Daily Star, December
7.
IGP
guilty of contempt
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shahudul Haque was convicted
of contempt of court after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal petition
against the conviction by the High Court. The police chief will have
to either pay Tk 2,000 in fine or serve a month in jail. This is for
the first time such a high government official responsible for keeping
law and order has been punished by court. An Appellate Division bench
headed by the chief justice yesterday dismissed the appeal petition
filed by Shahudul and three others against the January 27 High Court
order that handed down the punishment. Legal experts quoting the law
said the verdict of the highest court means the IGP stands dismissed
from service.
Barrister
Mainul Hosein, one of Shahudul's counsels, said the IGP has lost his
job with the judgement. "Maybe the government would say it will
take action after receiving the certified copy of the verdict but I
can say he is dismissed," he told the BBC. Shahudul, whose contractual
job as the IGP expires next March, is now in New York where he will
visit the UN Peacekeeping Department before going to France to meet
the Interpol secretary general at its secretariat in Lyon. He will return
on December 13. The government has given Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)
Commissioner Ashraful Huda additional charge of the IGP. -The
Daily Star, December 8.
Dhaka
to ban chemical weapon production
Bangladesh as a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention
(CWC) is going to enact a law imposing a permanent ban on development,
production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons in its military
defence system.
The CWC implementation
cell at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has already prepared a draft
bill, which is likely to be placed in parliament in the next session
to make it a law with a provision for strict punishment for its violation,
sources said.
The
state parties to the convention are determined to achieve effective
progress towards general and complete disarmament under strict and effective
international control, including the prohibition and elimination of
all types of weapons of mass destruction. "As a signatory to the
CWC, we have to enact a law to implement the convention," former
army chief and defence advisor to the prime minister Mahbubur Rahman
told The Daily Star. He said the enactment of the law would help Bangladesh
uphold its positive image in the campaign for world peace. Bangladesh
earlier signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), an accord against
nuclear proliferation and test of nuclear weapons. -The
Daily Star, December 9.
Bangladeshi
truck driver released
The Bangladeshi truck driver held hostage in Iraq was released by Iraqi
resistant fighters according to diplomatic sources. Abul Kashem Faruk,
44, who was captured by the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) on October 28,
is now under the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
A Sri Lankan truck
driver, who was kidnapped along with Faruk, has also been released.
Sri Lankan ambassador to Kuwait who is already in Iraq has been asked
by the government to receive Faruk on behalf of Bangladesh.
The Iraqi militants
was abducted Faruk 60km away from Baghdad while transporting supplies
to a US military base. Al-Jazeera was the first to broadcast a video
message picturing him and the Sri Lankan driver. He was driving the
truck for a private Kuwaiti company, Al-Jashem.
Bangladesh
engaged the International Organisation for Migration and the Red Crescent
Society in the rescue effort of Faruk. -Daily
Ittefaq, December 10.
Concern
over violation of human rights
Speakers at the inaugural session of a fair marking International Human
Rights Day expressed grave concerns at escalating human rights violations
in the country including violence against women and children, persecution
of minorities, deaths in 'crossfire', mass arrests and corruption.
They asked the government
and the people of Bangladesh to honour and promote the fundamental principles
of personal liberty and freedom as guaranteed in the constitution. They
also urged all to exercise the principles of the United Nations Declaration
of Human Rights in 1948. Bangladesh Human Rights Advocacy Program (BHRAP)
of the Academy for Educational Development (AED), a Washington-based
NGO, organised the daylong 'human rights fair', first of its kind in
the country, on the Jatiya Press Club premises in the capital with the
slogan: 'Human Rights Begin at Home.'
The
programme participated by several rights bodies from across the country
began with an hour-long human chain near the Supreme Court. Susan Ward,
chief of AED, Reazuddin Ahmed, president of Jatiya Press Club, Sigma
Huda, special reporter on trafficking in persons of the UN Commission
for Human Rights, and Judith Chammas, deputy chief of Mission of US
Embassy, were present as special guests. -Prothom
Alo, December 11.
Corresponding
with the Law Desk
Please send your mails, queries, and opinions to: Law Desk,
The Daily Star 19 Karwan Bazar, Dhaka-1215;
telephone 8124944,8124955,fax 8125155;email <dslawdesk@yahoo.co.uk,lawdesk@thedailystar.net
