Law
Week
BNP lawmakers oppose contempt
Ruling BNP lawmakers at a parliamentary body meeting opposed the contempt of court bill as placed in the House and asked to go slow with the sensitive issue. But the law minister, who piloted the bill on May 2, expressed his willingness to pass the bill in the current session scheduled to be prorogued on May 9. Chief Whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain and other members of the committee favoured more discussion on the bill, meeting sources said. The parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs sits again to finalise the report on the bill with some amendments. No opposition member was present at the meeting to discuss the crucial bill. "There may be some amendments in the bill as it involves a sensitive issue and needs more scrutiny," committee Chairman Khandaker Mahbubuddin Ahmed told reporters after the meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The chairman, however, declined to specify the possible amendments to some provisions of the bill. The committee is trying to introduce some balancing measures, committee member and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Salauddin Quader Chowdhury told reporters. The bill proposed that the government employees would not lose their jobs immediately after they are accused of wrongdoing. In the bill the responsibility has been given to the government to acquit or punish government officials with some fine. --The Daily Star, May 7..
Heroin Smuggling to UK
Nearly entire racket identified
State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar claimed that the government has identified the whole racket involved in smuggling heroin to the UK. While talking to journalists on government steps against the company after a home ministry meeting on law and order, Babar said, "We have now been able to identify the whole racket." Asked if the image of the country has been damaged by the company's involvement in heroin smuggling, he said incidents like this took place several times earlier but the government's achievements in this particular case will definitely restore the country's image. Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed another case with the Sutrapur Police Station accusing Abul Bashar, proprietor of Green Haven Enterprise, and Kazi Zafar Reza, owner of Rainbow Enterprise, of smuggling 54kg heroin to the UK. Investigators said Bashar and Zafar are members of a strong international syndicate of drug-runners. They said the two close associates have been smuggling heroin worth crores of taka through exported consignments. In the case, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Dipak Chandra Gupta mentioned that Bashar and Zafar smuggled 54kg heroin to the UK in a consignment of TAZARO Floor Tiles. --The Daily Star, May 8.
Writ petitions challenging poll symbols rejected
The High Court (HC) summarily rejected two separate writ petitions challenging the validity of the election symbols of BNP, Awami League (AL), Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. Advocate Manzill Murshid, counsel for a petition that challenged the validity of scales as Jamaat's election symbol, told The Daily Star that the court rejected the petitions saying "the petitions have no good cause to challenge the election symbols". Barrister Moksedul Islam and four other lawyers filed the petition on May 2 for writ on the election symbol of Jamaat--a four-party alliance government partner--as the Supreme Court has the same emblem that stands for justice. Advocate Shahadat Hossain filed another writ petition on Sunday challenging the validity of a sheaf of paddy as BNP's election symbol, boat as AL's election symbol, plough as that of Jatiya Party. The petitioner challenged the AL poll symbol boat as it is used in the monogram and flag of the jail guards under the police department, BNP's symbol as a sheaf of paddy is used in the national symbol, and Jatiya Party's symbol plough as it is used in the monogram of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP. The HC said the election symbols are used for a short time during the election period and so, there is no reason that the symbols may "cause harm or...undermine the monogram used by the Supreme Court and other government organisations. --The Daily Star, May 9.
Vegetable Export
Biman's new cargo charge stayed by HC
The High Court (HC) issued a stay order on the imposition of Biman Bangladesh Airlines' increased cargo charges for exporting vegetables, fruits, betel leaves and other perishable items for the next two months. The court in a show-cause notice also asked Biman to explain why its "arbitrary" and "mala fide" increase of cargo rate and fuel surcharge over the fruits, vegetables and betel leaves should not be declared "to have been made and issued without lawful authority and of no legal effects". Biman increased the shipment charges of vegetable products by 25 per cent on an average effective from March 1. The Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters' Association went into a strike the same day, saying it is not economically viable to export these items at Biman's increased rate. An HC division bench issued the rule nisi after hearing a writ petition filed by the exporters' association on March 1. The court also stayed the operations of Biman's previous six increases of cargo charges for perishable items between January 24 and April 23. --The Daily Star, May 8.
JS session debates on voter list controversy
Parliament witnessed a lively debate on recently published draft voter list when the opposition lawmakers demanded cancellation of the "fake" list and the treasury bench members urged them to lodge complaints with the Election Commission (EC). The Awami League (AL) lawmakers alleged that the draft list contains about two crore "fake voters" and it has been made as part of the ruling four-party alliance's "election engineering" to snatch victory in the next general election. They apprehended that the country might face a constitutional crisis if the election is held on the basis on such "erroneous" lists. The opposition lawmakers urged the government to ask the chief election commissioner and other commissioners to resign for their failure in making a fair electoral roll. But the treasury bench members, in reply, said the government was not involved in voter list preparation and it was absolutely a matter of the EC. --The Daily Star, May 9.
Saarc top cops sit to talk terrorism, trafficking
Police chiefs of Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries meet in the capital to discuss strengthening cooperation among the police departments of the seven member countries in matters of law enforcement in the region. The "Fifth Saarc Conference on Cooperation in Police Matters" will be held at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel two days ahead of the first conference of Saarc home ministers at the same venue. Bangladesh Home Secretary Safar Raj Hossain will inaugurate the police meet. According to sources in the police, the police chiefs will discuss anti-terrorism policies of the seven member countries, regional policy on fighting trans-border terrorism, trafficking in women and children, smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, formation of the "Saarc Police" and signing of extradition treaty among the member states. After two working sessions, the police chiefs will adopt a report. The Saarc home secretaries, who will discuss the report. --The Daily Star, May 9.
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