Law
week
27th BCS Exam
HC rule on PSC why viva voce was cancelled
The High Court issued a rule upon the Public Service Commission to explain why its decision canceling the viva voce results of the 27th Bangladesh Civil Service examination should not be declared "illegal". It also asked the PSC to show cause why its decision on holding a fresh viva exam should not be declared "without lawful authority". After hearing three similar writ petitions, filed by a group of aggrieved selected candidates, an HC division bench comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the orders. The rule is returnable in three weeks. -Unb, Dhaka, July 23.
Voter List
EC to knock now on voters' doors
The Election Commission (EC) has finally decided to assign its enumerators to make door-to-door visits for collecting particulars of eligible voters to simultaneously prepare the voter list with photographs, and national identity cards across the country. Prospective voters however will have to visit voter registration centres to have their photographs taken for the voter list. An EC announcement said over three lakh remunerators and supervisors will be recruited for voter listing. Besides, monitoring teams comprising more than five lakh locals including present and former representatives to different local government bodies and reputed persons will be engaged to help prepare the electoral roll. The EC Secretariat issued a circular asking election officials concerned to recruit enumerators and supervisors to start field level tasks for preparing voter list for Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) area next month. The same procedure will be followed in all other parts of the country, officials at the EC Secretariat said. Earlier, in May, the EC first announced that it would prepare voter list by setting up voter registration camps, and ask people to visit these camps. In the face of criticism, the CEC then said the EC was actively considering sending its enumerators for door- to- door visits to collect particulars of prospective voters. -The Daily Star, July 24.
Judiciary Separation
Govt gets five weeks to complete job
The Supreme Court (SC) granted the government five weeks for completing official formalities to implement separation of judiciary from the executive. The seven-member full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Ruhul Amin, granted the time following a prayer by the government seeking two months time for completing required administrative process. On May 7, SC directed the government to complete the process for implementation of separation of judiciary from the executive and to inform the court about its execution by July 19. The court had fixed July 23 for its further order regarding the whole process of judiciary separation. Giving the three-point directives to law, home, finance and housing ministries, the court on May 7 said required number of courtrooms have to be constructed for judicial magistracy in every district. The court also ordered creating posts of assistant officials and employees and giving appointment to the posts. Judges will have to be provided with other infrastructure and facilities along with their chambers and sufficient budget is to be allocated for the purposes. The Attorney General (AG) Fida M Kamal informed the court about the progress of completing required process according to the court directives. -The Daily Star, July 24.
Railway land for Sigma's HR body
Charges pressed against Huda
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) pressed charges against detained former communications minister Nazmul Huda for allocating a piece of railway land illegally to a human rights organisation run by his wife Sigma Huda. Meanwhile, a Dhaka court placed Huda on a three-day remand in connection with a case filed for extorting Tk 1 crore from an automobile dealership. ACC Assistant Director Mirza Azizul Islam, IO of the case, yesterday
submitted the charge sheet against Huda to the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka showing 27 people as prosecution witnesses. In his charge sheet, the IO said the charges brought against Huda have been proven primarily and he should be put on trial. On March 21, ACC Deputy Director (DD) Shafiqul Islam lodged the case against Nazmul Huda with Shahbagh Police Station saying that while Huda was at the helm of communications ministry, he adopted illegal means and abused power to allocate a piece of Bangladesh Railway land to an organisation -- Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR) -- run by his wife Sigma Huda. In the first information report (FIR), the ACC deputy director mentioned that Huda took Tk 2.4 crore in bribe for giving the land to BSEHR, where Sigma is the secretary general. -The Daily Star, July 25.
Checking price hike
Rab starts monitoring markets
The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) started monitoring different wholesale and retail markets of fish and vegetables in the city to check price hike. The measures came in response to intelligence report that unscrupulous retailers sell vegetables at prices double those in wholesale market. A team of Rab-2 went to Karwan Bazar in the afternoon and talked to traders. They enquired about the prices of vegetables and fish and also wanted to know about middlemen, and other problems including toll collection and syndicate pressure. They sought cooperation from the traders in containing the spiralling prices of vegetable and fish. Sheikh Samsul Alam Bulbul, secretary of Karwan Bazar Vegetable Wholesalers Association, told The Daily Star, "The Rab men assured us of all-out cooperation and also sought help from us in checking the price hike." He said they have told the elite crime busters that there is no syndicate in the items that are perishable. But the middlemen can hike the prices. Rab members in plainclothes are monitoring wholesale and retail markets in the city so that the traders and others refrain from hiking the prices illegally, said a Rab official. Earlier they held a meeting with leaders of wholesale and retail market committees in the capital. -The Daily Star, July 25.
Hearing on Rangs Bhaban dispute begins in SC
The hearing of a government appeal against the High Court judgment on the dispute over demolition of the 22-storey Rangs Bhaban began at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. In May 2000, the High Court in its verdict upon a writ petition filed by the Rangs Group declared the Rajuk notices illegal, saying that the construction of the Rangs Bhaban was done as per the plan approved by Rajuk following the terms and conditions. It further said the Rajuk notices canceling sanction of the plan and its other letters asking the petitioner to remove the construction beyond 6th floor have been issued without lawful authority. On the other hand, the present caretaker government in a meeting of the Advisory Council in April decided in principle to demolish the Rangs Bhaban on Old Airport road in the capital. When a five-member bench of the apex court took up the matter for hearing, Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, counsel for the Rangs Group, opposed the hearing and submitted that the hearing should be postponed until the state of emergency is lifted. The case involved enforcement of fundamental rights, now suspended under the state of emergency, he said. The Appellate Division bench, headed by Justice M Fazlul Karim, allowed Attorney General Fida M Kamal to make his submission for the government. -Unb, Dhaka, July 25.
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
