Law
week
KL to consider legalising all Bangladeshis
Malaysia will consider with sincerity the issue of legalising all Bangladeshis working in the country. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak gave the assurance when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on him at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The Malaysian premier said he would place the matter of legalisation of Bangladeshi workers before the committee on appointment of labours. He praised the skill and hard labour of Bangladeshi workers and said that these labours are contributing significantly to the economy of his country for a long time. Press Secretary to the PM Abul Kalam Azad briefed the reporters after the meeting. - The Daily Star, May 20, 2010.
Chevron accepts int'l court ruling
US-based international oil company Chevron, which lost to Bangladesh in a legal battle in an international arbitration court, said in a statement that it has accepted the ruling and would abide by the verdict. “Chevron will abide by the ICSID's ruling and welcomes the resolution of this issue,” the IOC said in its official reaction. Chevron had earlier filed the case with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID), a World Bank body, claiming a four percent payback that the state-owned Petrobangla has been deducting as wheeling charge from its payment to the company against the gas purchase. After a series of hearings and analysis, the ICSID released its judgment rejecting the Chevron's claim. - The Daily Star, May 20, 2010.
BIWTA chief faces contempt charge over river drive
The High Court issued a contempt of court rule against Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) chairman and three others over their role in demolishing structures in four rivers around the capital. BIWTA Chairman Abdul Malek Mian and its Senior Deputy Director (Port and Traffic) in Narayanganj Saiful Islam, President of Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners Association MA Rouf Chowdhury and General Secretary of Bangladesh Sugar Refiners Association Golam Mostafa were made respondents in the rule. An HC bench came up with the rule following a contempt of court petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh. - The Daily Star, May 19, 2010.
Changes in law to make ACC dysfunctional
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Chairman Hafizuddin said the proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act 2004 will make the ACC dysfunctional. TIB formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the city to protest against the government's move to amend ACC Act 2004 and drum up public support for making the commission independent, impartial and effective. Hafizuddin told reporters: "The electoral pledge of the present government was strengthening ACC, but the government is doing its opposite by making amendments to the Act." He also stressed the need to resolve the existing crises in prosecution, investigation and trial in order to make it effective. - The Daily Star, May 19, 2010.
Seoul to legalise Bangladeshi expatriates
The South Korean government will take effective steps to legalise all Bangladeshi expatriates living there and will take their maximum care. The assurance came when Choi Kyung-Hwan, Minister of Knowledge Economy of the Korean government, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her hotel suite here. Appreciating the Bangladeshi expatriates living in South Korea, the minister said they are industrious and honest, the PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad quoted the Korean minister as saying. In reply, the PM thanked the minister for his assurance and hoped that the Korean government will take all necessary measures for legalising all Bangladeshi expatriates living in Korea. - The Daily Star, May 18, 2010.
HC asks govt to enforce house rent law properly
The High Court (HC) issued a rule asking the government to explain within four weeks why it should not be directed to enforce properly the law concerning house rent to prevent house owners in the capital from arbitrarily raising rent and taking advance from tenants. The court came up with the rule after hearing a writ petition seeking directives for strict enforcement of the House Rent Control Act 1991. Secretaries to the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Division, Law Ministry and Jatiya Sangsad, and mayor of Dhaka City Corporation have been made respondents to the rule issued by an HC bench comprised of Justice Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed and Justice Naima Haider. - The Daily Star, May 18, 2010.
7 stranded seamen return home
Seven of the 28 Bangladeshi seamen who had been stranded in ships off the Benin coast are finally returning home on May 17, 2010. "Seven are scheduled to fly from Benin by an Emirates flight " said Saida Muna Tasneem, director general of external publicity wing at the foreign ministry. The remaining 21 will come back on May 20, she told this correspondent. All the 28 seamen were earlier scheduled to return home on May 7 but it was delayed as the Benin authorities said some of them should stay back to take care of the ships. Saida Muna mentioned that Bangladesh's Charge d' Affaires in Morocco Lutfar Rahman is negotiating with the Benin authorities for return of all the stranded seamen. But one of the might stay back, she said. - The Daily Star, May 17, 2010.
Channel 1 writ petition rejected
The High Court summarily rejected a writ petition that challenged the government's action of shutting down Channel 1, a private satellite television station. A HC bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore passed the order. On April 27, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) stopped the transmission of Channel 1 by cancelling its frequency allocation for using rented broadcasting equipments in violation of the law. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters at his office that the government had shut down the operation of Channel 1 since frequency allocation cannot remain valid after the company sells off its broadcasting equipments. - The Daily Star, May 17, 2010.
Corresponding with the Law Desk
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