Law
week
Jamaat trio linked with glut of cases
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, and Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee were shown arrested in a slew of cases including four in connection with war crimes. They were also remanded for 16 days each. The move came a day after they had been arrested for failing to appear in a Dhaka court in connection with a case of hurting the religious sentiment of the country's Muslims. The court however granted the three Jamaat top brass bail in that case. Meanwhile, law enforcers arrested at least 100 leaders and activists of Jamaat and allied student organisation Islami Chhatra Shibir from different parts of the country, for putting up road barricades, burning of tires, and bringing out marches protesting the arrests of their leaders. - The Daily Star, July 1, 2010.
Law soon to stop yellow journalism
The government is actively considering enacting a law to stop “yellow journalism,” Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad told the House. Replying to lawmakers' queries, he said the government will also actively consider specifying previous experience of an individual for being an editor of a newspaper if it gets any proposal in this regard. Ruling Awami League lawmaker ABM Anwarul Haq in a scripted query said land grabbers and state wealth looters are becoming editors of newspapers to use journalist community to safeguard their wealth. This trend is increasing gradually, he observed. The AL lawmaker wanted to know whether the information ministry will move to make it mandatory that an individual must have 15 years' experience in journalism to become an editor of a newspaper. - The Daily Star, July 1, 2010.
No registration no permission
Private land developers and real estate companies, who are not registered with Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), will not get its approval for developing plots and constructing apartments from July 1. Only nine, out of 728 members of Real Estate Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), have so far applied for registration in prescribed forms as the authority made it mandatory before June 30, officials said. They said there are around 1,500 other private companies, who are neither members of REHAB and nor affiliated with Rajuk. The capital development authority asked private land developers and real estate companies to get enlisted with it as per the Dhaka Metropolitan Building (construction, development, preservation and removal) Rules, 2008. - The Daily Star, June 30, 2010.
Another 'custodial' death
A CNG-run auto rickshaw driver was killed when he ran from police custody and fell on the street in the city's Moghbazar, claimed police. However, the family had different story to tell. The dead was identified as Babul Kazi, 40, of Modhubagh area in the city. The victim's family members alleged that Rab seized two CNG-run auto rickshaws, which Babul took on hire. They also alleged that Sub-Inspector (SI) Altaf Hossain of Ramna Police Station demanded Tk 2 lakh in exchange of returning the auto rickshaws.
They said Babul gave SI Altaf Tk 70,000 in two installments last week. When he refused to give rest of the money, Altaf and his colleagues beat him to death, they alleged. - The Daily Star, June 30, 2010.
Govt readies reform recipe for bureaucracy
The government is planning a thorough reform of the civil administration in a bid to rout out political partisanship, and to cut down administrative cost. The move will be made under the Civil Service Act 2010, a draft of which is now getting the final touches from a high-powered committee headed by Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz. The committee was formed under direct supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who asked it to submit the draft to her. Currently civil service officials and employees are guided by a plethora of disjointed rules and regulations instead of a comprehensive law which, the incumbent government believes, is the reason why partisanship was able to creep into the ranks and files of the country's civil administration. - The Daily Star, June 29, 2010.
JS committee not happy
A parliamentary body opposed the government getting sweeping authority to issue licences to telecom- and ICT-based entrepreneurs and make financial and policy decisions in the sector by curtailing the BTRC's jurisdiction. Post and Telecommuni-cations Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Razu on June 13 placed a bill in parliament seeking to bring some amendments to the Bangladesh telecommunications act. It proposed that the authority to issue licences, make financial and policy decisions should rest with the government not the BTRC, which now enjoys the privileges exclusively. The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) would issue licences on prior approval of the government, the bill proposed. - The Daily Star, June 29, 2010.
Member Prof Gias replaced
The government has cancelled the appointment of Prof Giasuddin Mollah as a member of the recently constituted National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Dr Giasuddin, a professor of the department of political science of Dhaka University (DU), was appointed as an honorary member of NHRC along with five others on June 22. But a law ministry press release said that President Zillur Rahman has appointed Nirupa Dewan, a retired headmistress of Rangamati Government High School on June 24, to the post of honorary member of NHRC, by replacing Giasuddin Mollah. - The Daily Star, June 28, 2010.
Black law always boomerangs
A legal weapon introduced by the last BNP-led government in 2002 for use against Awami League is likely to be a boomerang for them when they take to the streets to enforce hartal. In the face of strong protest from the then main opposition Awami League, the erstwhile BNP government in October, 2002, made a law titled "The Law and Order Disruption Offence (Speedy Trial) Act". The then main opposition had then termed it a black law and accused the BNP-led government of suppressing the opposition agitations. The then BNP government rejected the opposition's allegations and deployed law enforcement agencies to thwart hartals. It also extended the term of the act after expiry of its first two years' term. A large number of cases were also filed against the then opposition leaders and activists under the speedy trial act for their activities during hartals. - The Daily Star, June 27, 2010.
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