Law
week
Smoking
in public places banned
The Jatiya Sangsad passed a bill imposing a ban on smoking
at public places and in public transports, and on advertisement
of tobacco products.
Health
and Family Welfare Minister Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain
introduced the bill which prohibits publication of advertisements
of tobacco products in newspapers, books and magazines,
in radio and television broadcasts, and in cinema.
The
new law also bans smoking in public places and transports
with a provision for penalty. Anyone who violates the
provision will be fined Tk 50. However, it says the authorities
or caretaker of any public place or transport can make
special arrangements for smokers.
The
category of public places include educational institutions,
government, semi-government and autonomous offices, libraries,
lifts, hospitals, clinics, court buildings, airports,
sea and river port buildings, railway stations, bus terminals,
ferries, cinema halls, covered exhibition centres, theatres,
children's parks and other places designated by gazette
notifications.
According
to the new law, putting up billboards and printing leaflets
and handbills or any other documents, including films
and videotapes, containing advertisement of tobacco are
banned.
The
law dictates that no company will be allowed to distribute
tobacco free of cost, arrange any competition and make
any offer of scholarship or donation to publicise tobacco
products. A punishment of three months imprisonment or
a fine of Tk 1,000 or both is enforceable for its violation.
The Daily Star,
March 14.
Caretaker
chief should be acceptable to all
Leaders of different opposition political parties and
legal experts at a roundtable suggested appointment of
an acceptable person as the chief adviser of caretaker
government through consensus of all parties.
They
called for amending the provision of making the immediate
past chief justice as head of the caretaker administration
and observed that the next election will not be free and
fair without necessary reforms in the caretaker government
system. The discussants suggested selecting a non-partisan
and neutral person from any profession, who is acceptable
to all, to head the interim government for the sake of
holding the national elections in a free and fair manner.
Apprehending
rigging in the next election, they said the government
has extended the retirement age of justices with an ill
motive to make a person loyal to them the chief of the
next caretaker government. The main opposition Awami League
(AL) organised the roundtable titled "Democracy and
Election: necessity of reforming the caretaker government
system" at a city hotel as part of its campaign for
reforms of the system.
After
the discussion by lawmakers, politicians, legal experts
and political scientists, the meeting decided to form
an 'all-party committee' within a couple of days to work
out concrete proposals on the issue. The
Daily Star, March 15.
Policemen
face contempt charge
The High Court issued a contempt of court ruling against
three traffic police for stopping the car of a HC judge
on March 6 to serve a traffic warrant.
Ordering
them to appear in person before the court on March 28,
the court asked the traffic personnel to reply in two
weeks why punitive action should not be taken against
them for the contempt. The court also ordered the Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), Dhaka to reply by the same
period as to why the process of issuing warrants against
vehicles would not be cancelled. The HC bench comprising
Justice SK Sinha and Justice Shamim Hasnain issued the
rules on sergeant ATM Iqbal, in-charge of warrant section
of the office of Deputy Commissioner (DC), Traffic (South)
Mozammel Haq and traffic constable Shahidul Islam.
The
ruling came after Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Traffic
(South) Ansar Uddin Khan Pathan yesterday disclosed before
the court that the three were on duty at the time of the
incident. He also described the incident that took place
at Shahbagh intersection on March 6.
After
the incident, the same bench directed the traffic DC to
appear before the court with a report giving the names
of the traffic police and the records of the case filed
in 2004. He gave a slip wherein the number of the case
was mentioned as Warrant No. 6403/04. "The concerned
judge was bewildered at the behaviour on the part of the
members of a disciplined service on duty," reads
the court order served on traffic DC on March 6. Prothom
Alo, March 15.
Judiciary
Separation: HC grants govt one more month
The Supreme Court granted one more month to the government
to separate the judiciary from the executive in line with
its 12-point directive. The full bench of the Appellate
Division headed by Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain
granted the 20th extension of deadline, upon a government
petition filed in August last year. The court however
turned down a petition of nine government officials, facing
contempt charges for distorting the court directive, seeking
exemption from appearing in the court in person. Advocate
TH Khan pleaded for their exemption. The court, earlier,
asked the government to submit the final draft rules on
separation of the judiciary which had been sent to the
president for approval. But the state side did not submit
it. Attorney General (AG) AF Hassan Ariff submitted a
comparative study between the Supreme Court draft and
the draft sent to the president.
"We
do not want comparative studies of the draft rules. Show
us what exactly you have finalised for the president's
approval," the court told the attorney general. "We
are not convinced of your submission. We hope good sense
will prevail on the government," the court observed
and allowed one month's time to implement its orders.
The court also asked the AG to convey the court's attitude
on separation of the judiciary to the government. The
Daily Star, March 16.
Corresponding
with the Law Desk
Please send your mails, queries, and opinions to: Law
Desk, The Daily Star 19 Karwan Bazar, Dhaka-1215;
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