Law
Week
Women representatives face maltreatment in local govt bodies
Women members of Union Parishads (UP), Paurashavas and city corporations at a dialogue yesterday said humiliating treatment by the male UP members, chairmen and ward commissioners and deprivation of their due allocation ultimately frustrate their urge for political activities. Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy (SPD) Project of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Parliamentary Caucus on Gender organised the fifth regional dialogue on strengthening relations between women members of parliament and local councils at the Oath Room of parliament. Urged by the women UP members, the members of parliament (MPs) and experts agreed that they should hold regular meetings with the women members of local government, and formulate laws on their rights and responsibilities.
Emphasising decision making capacity of women public representatives, he said one parliamentary seat from each of the 64 districts could be reserved for the women candidates to increase their participation in the direct electoral process. --The Daily Star, August 21.
No decision yet on sending peacekeepers to Lebanon
Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan said Bangladesh has not yet taken any decision on sending peacekeepers to south Lebanon. "We haven't taken any decision, we haven't received the rules of deployment... Nothing is clear to us," said the foreign minister while talking to the reporters at his office. In reply to a question, he said the decision and the size of troops will be determined after carefully examining the UN mandate for peacekeeping in Lebanon and assessing Bangladesh's capacity and capability. The foreign minister said he had telephone conversation with his counterparts in some troops contributing countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, who have expressed similar opinion to see the detailed UN mandate before taking any decision. "The situation is still unclear," Morshed said.
On August 17, Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury offered up to two mechanised battalions of Bangladesh and sought consultations with the UN authorities on the matter. --UNB, August 22.
Rupali Sale-off
HC order stayed for a week
The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday suspended for a week the execution of the High Court's (HC) stay on the process of selling the state-run Rupali Bank. The Appellate Division chamber bench of Justice Amirul Kabir Chowdhury issued the rule in response to an application filed by the Privatisation Commission. The court also asked the original petitioner ABM Abu Taher to file by this time a regular application for leave to appeal seeking overturning of the HC decision. The SC ruling means the Privatisation Commission can now resume its process regarding the sale of Rupali Bank. "We have already opened the technical offers by four bidders," said Enam Ahmed Choudhury adding that he is confident that the commission will be able to wrap up the selling procedure within the stipulated time. Earlier on Monday, the last day for tender submission, four bidders--Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Saudi, Maa International Investment Ltd of Malaysia, JJ Finance Ltd of the UK, and Domestic Investors Consortium--filed tender for the state-owned bank.
The same day the HC in a ruling put a stop to the sell-off procedure for three months. It also issued a rule on the government, Privatisation Commission and Rupali Bank to explain why their activities to sell the bank should not be declared illegal. --The Daily Star, August 23.
Judges Killing
HC judgment on Aug 28
The High Court (HC) will deliver the verdict in the death reference of seven militants, including Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai, on August 28 in Jhalakathi judges killing case. The death reference bench of the HC yesterday fixed the date after the completion of hearing. Jhalakathi District Additional Sessions Judge had sentenced the seven JMB militants to death by hanging on May 29. The hearing against the verdict began on August 1. The JMB killed judges Shahid Sohel Ahmed, 35, senior assistant judge of Nalchhiti upazila, and Jagannath Pandey, 38, senior assistant judge of Jhalakathi sadar upazila, in a bomb attack on the judges' vehicles at Chandkathi in Jhalakathi on November 14 last year..
2 convicts in Aug 17 blast case surrender
Two convicts of the August 17 serial blasts case surrendered before Rajbari Special Tribunal Tuesday afternoon. They are Golam Mawla and Faruk Hossain. Tribunal judge Md Sahidullah sent them to jail. The tribunal, in a verdict pronounced on March 18, sentenced each of them 10 years rigorous imprisonment (RI). --The Daily Star, August 24..
Judge appointed in appellate division superseding three
While many lawyers are protesting the appointment of 17 new judges ignoring the chief justice's recommendation, the government yesterday appointed a judge to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court by superseding three senior judges of the High Court Division.
Justice M Joynul Abedin superseded senior judges Syed Amirul Islam, MD Hassan Ameen and AK Badrul Huq in the appointment signed by President Iajuddin Ahmed after consultation with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Earlier, Justice Syed Amirul Islam was superseded four times. Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary AM Aminuddin told The Daily Star last night that they will refrain from organising its felicitation programme to welcome the judge. With the appointment of Justice Abedin, the number of Appellate Division judges has risen to eight.
Of them, two have not been available for a long time as Justice MA Aziz was made the chief election commissioner on May 23 last year and Justice Mohammed Fazlul Karim has been ill.
Justice Abedin had led the one-member judicial inquiry commission formed to probe the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally.
He joined the High Court on June 1, 1996. He will retire on January 1, 2010. --The Daily Star, August 24.
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