Law Week
2 Sagar-Runi murder accused on 8-day remand
A Dhaka court on October 10 placed two accused in journalist couple Sagar-Runi murder case on an eight-day remand each. The accused are Tanvir Rahman and Palash Rudra Pual, a security guard of the couple's residence. Metropolitan Magistrate Keshab Roy Chowdhury passed the order after Md Zafar Ullah, senior assistant superintendent of police of Rapid Action Battalion also the investigation of the case, produced them before it with a 10-day demand prayer. Meanwhile, five more accused -- Mintu alias Bargira Mintu, Kamrul Hassan Arun, Md Bakul Miah, Rafiqul Islam and Abu Sayeed -- have been shown arrested in the case.- The Daily Star online edition October 10 2012.
HC questions RPO restriction
The High Court on October 9 questioned the validity of a legal provision, which prevents government employees from contesting parliamentary elections within three years into their retirement from service. In response to a writ petition, the court issued a rule asking the government and the election commission to explain in four weeks why this restrictive provision of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) should not be declared unconstitutional. According to Article 6 of the RPO (Amendment) Act 2009, if anybody has not finished three years after retirement from government service, he or she cannot contest parliamentary elections.-The Daily Star October 9 2012.
High Court for alternative to nat'l ID card
The High Court on October 8 directed the government to allow mobile-phone operators to sell SIM and RUIM cards against alternative identification documents in case subscribers do not have national identity (NID) cards. It, however, did not specify what sort of documents could be used as an alternative to NID for purchasing Subscriber Identity Module or Removable User Identity Module cards. The HC also issued a rule upon the government to explain in four weeks why its April 12 order making NID mandatory to buy RUIM/SIM cards should not be declared illegal. On hearing a writ petition filed by Muminul Islam Chowdhury from Dhanmondi, the HC bench of Justice M Moazzam Husain and Justice Md Habibul Gani came up with the directive and the rule. The petitioners had challenged the legality of the government order.- The Daily Star October 9 2012.
HC extends stay order on DCC polls
The High Court on October 8 once again extended its previous stay order on holding the Dhaka city corporation polls by three months, as the authorities neither implemented nor replied to its directives. The elections to both the north and south city corporations were scheduled for May 24, as announced by the Election Commission on April 9. Earlier on April 16, following a writ petition, the court had stayed the elections for three months as “the legal procedures” were not carried out beforehand. The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order after hearing a petition to extend its previous stay order. - The Daily Star October 9 2012.
HC to list heritage sites in Dhaka
A High Court bench on October 8 directed the government to prepare a complete list of all heritage structures in Dhaka city and file a report with the court within three months. Following a writ petition filed by Urban Study Group (USG), the HC issued the direction on the ministries of cultural affairs, housing and public work and local government. The heritage conservationist group filed the petition on October 2 in the wake of a move by Dhaka Zilla Parishad to tear down a colonial era building on Johnson Road the previous day to make way for a 20-storey commercial building. The court however withdrew its earlier temporary stay order on the demolition work and disposed of the petition. Earlier, in 2009, the government made a primary list of 93 age-old buildings and 13 roads in four areas for conservation in the capital city.-The Daily Star October 9 2012.
Hearing on writ about Hall-Mark Scam adjourned
The High Court on October 7 adjourned for two weeks the hearing on a writ petition that sought its directive on the government to recover Tk 3,547 crore loan taken by Hall-Mark Group and five other companies from Sonali Bank. Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond filed the petition on September 17 with the HC, seeking its order on the authorities concerned to confiscate the assets of the companies on failure to refund the money. The HC passed the adjournment order after Eunus prayed for postponement of hearing on the petition, saying that he will insert some new grounds in his petition. He also urged the HC to ask the government to constitute a judicial commission to probe the irregularities in all the public and private banks.- The Daily Star October 8 2012.
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