Law
week
EC delays action as parties miss deadline
The Election Commission (EC) has finally decided to exempt 39 political parties from submitting to it within the timeframe, audit reports on their financial transactions in the immediate past year, without amending the legal provision in this regard. It took the decision on Monday in response to a letter from BNP expressing its inability due to some complexities to comply with the mandatory provision for submission of audit report within the deadline -- July 31 last. -The Daily Star, Oct 29, 2009.
Babar's remand stayed a few hrs after granting
Several hours after placing the former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar on remand in the August 21 grenade attack case, a Dhaka court stayed its order upon a High Court directive. First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ehsanul Haque passed a five-day remand order around 1:00pm following a 10-day remand prayer by the investigation officer (IO) of the case. -The Daily Star, Oct 29, 2009.
Mohiuddin's 2 sons arrested
Detective Branch of Police (DB) arrested two sons of Lt Col (retd) Mohiuddin Ahmed, a death convict in Bangabandhu murder case, for suspected links to the bomb attack on Awami League lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh. DB picked up Nazmul Hasan alias Sohel, 34, his younger brother Mahbubul Hasan, 30, from their residence at Gawair Prembagan of Ashkona in the city's Dakkhinkhan at around 3:00am. Later they were produced before a Dhaka court, which placed them on a five-day remand.
-The Daily Star, Oct 28, 2009.
JS bodies want ADR to recover defaulted loans
Two parliamentary standing committees held a joint meeting to find out ways to recover huge amount of defaulted loans and stressed introducing alternative disputes resolution (ADR) system to get better results in loan recovery. On invitation of the parliamentary standing committee on law justice and parliamentary affairs ministry, members of the parliamentary standing committee on finance ministry joined the meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. -The Daily Star, Oct 28, 2009.
EC wants to know 14 MPs' tax status
The Election Commission will ask the National Board of Revenue to see if the 14 lawmakers who did not include tax records in their candidacy applications had earnings subject to tax. The decision came at a meeting where the EC Secretariat placed a list of lawmakers who in documents submitted to the commission before the December 29 election claimed they did not have any taxable income, EC sources said. -The Daily Star, Oct 27, 2009.
Attorney gen, Indian HC get death threat
An anonymous person has threatened to kill Attorney General Mahbubey Alam along with his family members unless the convicts in the Bangabandhu Assassination case are released in 15 days. Alam received a death threat letter by post in the evening. The letter, addressed to the attorney general and dated October 3, reads, "The accused of Mujib murder case have been put behind bars unjustly. You along with your family members will die if they are not released in 15 days". Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty also received an e-mail that issued threats on his life and also threatened to make bomb-attack at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. -The Daily Star, Oct 27, 2009.
Govt to leave the act alone
Pressurised by developing partners including the World Bank, the finance minister has moved to restore in Public Procurement Act the previously dropped provision for having prior experience and discontinue the lottery system for getting government work up to Tk 2 crore. A cabinet meeting had recently dropped the provision and included the lottery system in the act. A few senior colleagues of Finance Minister AMA Muhith, however, raised objection to the move at a meeting, but no decision was finalised. -The Daily Star, Oct 26, 2009.
Legal notice served on Bashundhara
A legal notice has been issued on Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and four others for recent publication of libellous, false and baseless advertisements in different national dailies, publishing derogatory posters and leaflets, and its ill attempt to file a fabricated case against the daily Prothom Alo. The legal notice issued by Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates on Saturday asks the Bashundhara Group chairman to withdraw the published advertisements and other publicity materials within 48 hours of receiving the notice and apologise to Prothom Alo Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman and Transcom Group Chairman Latifur Rahman. -The Daily Star, Oct 26, 2009.
Prosecute Rab men
The Bangladesh government should prosecute the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) officers who arrested and tortured FM Masum, a journalist of the daily New Age, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. In a statement, the New York-based watchdog said the new government had promised to put an end to abuses by the paramilitary law enforcement agency long implicated in tortures and the extra judicial killings termed "crossfire". But the government is yet to take any action in this regard. -The Daily Star, Oct 25, 2009.
Nursing held hostage by a few culprits
A quarter with the help of Directorate of Nursing Services (DNS) is extorting and threatening nurses of transfers if they do not become members of yet to be formally contituted Diploma Nurses Association. Under the banner of Diploma Nurses Association (DNA), which has no registration, Senior Staff Nurse Shahjahan Howlader of National Institute of Traumatology, Orthotaedics and Rehabilitation is leading the extortion. Shahjahan and his associates forced 24,000 nurses across the country into becoming members of the DNA by paying Tk 200 at a time and Tk 50 per month. -The Daily Star, Oct 25, 2009.
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