Law
week
Review starts to find out 'irregularities'
An authoritative committee of the armed forces has started examining alleged irregularities in forced-retirements, promotions and punitive measures in the armed forces during the last seven years. Following an order from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who also holds the defence portfolio, the committee began reviewing the measures. "A committee is investigating the irregularities that took place in the armed forces during the tenures of BNP and the caretaker governments," M Idris Ali, chief of the parliamentary standing committee on the defence ministry, said. -The Daily Star, July 15, 2009.
HC outlines steps to protect city lakes
The High Court issued a set of directives to the government for preserving and protecting Gulshan-Baridhara and Gulshan-Banani lakes in the capital from illegal encroachments and structures and to shield the environment. The HC said surveys should be conducted to demarcate the lakes. It asked the government to identify and evict all illegal occupants and demolish temporary and permanent structures on the lakes. The court ruled that the surveys and evictions must be done by January 31, 2010. -The Daily Star, July 15, 2009.
Public hearing on July 20 to protect rivers, environment
A parliamentary subcommittee set July 20 for public hearing of four organisations on saving rivers and environment from pollution. Sources said the subcommittee, in its report to be submitted to the parliamentary standing committee on forest and environment, will recommend appointing an ombudsman to deal with the irregularities and complaint in the environmental sector. -The Daily Star, July 15, 2009.
Rules defied in sand lifting near Buriganga bank
A group of people have been extracting sand on a large scale from the bank and adjacent shallow river bed of the Buriganga at Basila although they have permission for extracting sand from the middle of the river. The activity allegedly backed by activists of the ruling Awami League is exposing the residential area to erosion and threatening to change the very course of the river. These people are also defying the permission given by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority by using 14 powerful dredgers while they have permission for only three. -The Daily Star, July 13, 2009.
BSF to be asked to stop killing
Bangladesh and India kicked off a border conference at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters, while two Bangladeshis were shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at Chuadanga and Dinajpur frontiers. At the three-day director general level conference between BDR and BSF, Dhaka will raise the issue of killings, wounding, and torture of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals by BSF and Indian civilians at the border. -The Daily Star, July 13, 2009.
Special police unit mulled to combat terrorism, militancy
The police headquarters has sent a proposal to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for formation of a 3,125-member specialised and technology-based police unit to combat militancy and terrorism. Sources said the proposed unit, National Police Bureau of Counter Terrorism, will have forces having expertise in information technology (IT), modern banking and cyber crime to safeguard the country from terrorist strike, cyber-based attack and high-tech crimes. -The Daily Star, July 12, 2009.
War criminals not barred in UZ polls
War criminals, earlier barred from contesting elections to parliament, city corporations and municipalities, can now participate in upazila parishad polls because of loopholes in the new upazila parishad act passed by parliament. The last caretaker government promulgated an ordinance for upazila parishad, barring war criminals convicted by national or international tribunals from contesting the upazila parishad polls. The ordinance was enforced in the January 2009 elections. -The Daily Star, July 12, 2009.
Hearing resumes soon
Hearing on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case will resume at the Supreme Court within a few days, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said. "The president has already created four new posts in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for this," he said in an exclusive interview with private television channel ATN Bangla. "Four senior-most judges of the High Court will be appointed to the new posts within the next seven days," Shafique said. With the new appointments, the Appellate Division will have 11 judges. -The Daily Star, July 12, 2009.
Prof Muzaffer welcomes probe into TIB activities
The government can investigate the activities of Transparency International Bangladesh and graft allegations, if any, against its officials, Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said. “TIB's latest report “Parliament Watch 2009” that became the talk of the town in the past week didn't have any ill intention,” said the former chairman of TIB. The words “quorum crisis” used in the newspaper report was not right, but it is a fact that most of the parliament sessions commenced late,” Muzaffer, trustee board member of TIB, said. -The Daily Star, July 12, 2009.
Over 23,000 NGOs' activities unknown
Around half of the NGOs registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare remain inactive for long and a few of them are even regularly taking funds from the government, reveals a recent finding. The ministry makes the finding digging into the allegations against several NGOs of having links with militants. A staggering 23,280 of the 50,997 registered NGOs, which do not get foreign funds but receive government allocation, have so far become "signboard NGOs" and have no recent activities. -The Daily Star, July 11, 2009.
4 DCs start river work, wait for HC order
The Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of four districts, who were asked by the High Court (HC) on June 25 to take measures to protect the rivers under their jurisdiction, are now 'doing some home work' in this regard on the basis of newspaper reports as none of them received the court order officially until writing of this report. The DCs of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Munshiganj said they cannot start the process of demarcating the rivers until they get the HC order officially. -The Daily Star, July 11, 2009.
Corresponding with the Law Desk
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