Law
week
Court allows case against MP Shaon
Ibrahim Ahmed's brother filed a murder case with a Dhaka court against ruling party lawmaker Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon. Awami League leader Ibrahim died of a gun shot near the parliament building Friday night. The case was filed with a Dhaka court five days after the death of the Awami League activist. Ibrahim's wife Rina Islam had made several attempts to file the case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station but it refused to record the case. Police at the station said an unnatural death case was already recorded with the station. Ibrahim's younger brother Masum filed the case against eight named and eight to 10 unnamed people. -The Daily Star, August 19, 2010.
Legal ambiguity blocks bringing siphoned-off money back
Loopholes in the existing law is blocking the way of bringing back the money laundered by a number of people including Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said. The law needs to be made “more stringent” to bring back the money, he said after the meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on anti-money laundering at the ministry's conference room. To stop money laundering and financing of terrorism, the NCC meeting approved the draft amendments of the Money Laundering Prevention Act and Anti-terrorism Financing Act. Upon getting the cabinet's approval, the minister expects to place the amendment bill in the parliament in its September session. If passed, the law will pave the way to trace and bring back the money siphoned outside the country, which is not possible as per the existing law. -The Daily Star, August 19, 2010.
HC circuit bench to be set up in Ctg
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Shafique Ahmed said that a circuit bench of the High Court division will soon be set up in Chittagong for speedy disposal of the pending cases in the region. He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already consented and the process for setting up of the Bench is waiting for final approval of the chief justice and the president. The law minister said this while exchanging views at a meeting with the leaders of Chittagong District Bar Association (CDBA) at the bar auditorium. The minister attended the meeting as chief guest. In response to various demands of the Bar leaders, the minister said government had already appointed 200 judicial magistrates in the country and another 102 magistrates will soon get appointment to fill up the shortage of judicial magistrates. -The Daily Star, August 18, 2010.
Mahmudur faces another contempt rule
The Supreme Court (SC) issued another contempt of court rule against detained Mahmudur Rahman, acting editor of the daily Amar Desh, and its publisher Hashmat Ali for publishing a commentary involving the apex court. The court in its rule asked them to explain by August 24 why they should not be prosecuted for publishing the report titled "Swadhin bicharer name tamasa", meaning "Farce in the name of fair trial" on May 10. A six-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, issued the rule following a contempt of court petition jointly filed by two SC lawyers Riaz Uddin Khan and Mynul Hassan. The bench directed the prison authorities to produce Mahmudur on August 24 in connection with the latest contempt of court petition. -The Daily Star, August 18, 2010.
Why MP-led dev work not illegal
The High Court asked the government to explain why granting Tk 15 crore for each constituency for rural infrastructure development prescribed by lawmakers should not be declared unconstitutional. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on March 9 approved the five-year-long project of Tk 4,691 crore to carry out development work in 300 constituencies. Following the guidelines of the LGRD ministry, legislators have already sent their proposals to the ministry for development work they want done in their constituencies. Local Government Engineering Department of the LGRD ministry was supposed to start implanting the proposals from this fiscal year. -The Daily Star, August 17, 2010.
Cops asked to sue traders
The High Court (HC) directed the police to file criminal cases under the Special Powers Act-1974 against the traders responsible for food adulteration and price spirals. Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a writ petition as public interest litigation. An HC bench comprised of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain passed the order after hearing the petition. The highest punishment for offence under this act is death. The bench ordered the secretaries to the ministries of commerce, industries and health to continue the mobile courts' operation across the country for the next two months. It directed the inspector general of police, director general of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner to provide sufficient forces to the mobile courts as per requirements. -The Daily Star, August 17, 2010.
HC pulls for Bhola forest
The High Court issued a three-month injunction against felling of nearly 15,000 trees in the forest and wildlife reserve on Kukri Mukri char to construct a road to link the island with Bhola. The court gave a ruling upon the respondents to show cause why the environment and forest ministry's letter issued on May 16 to allow felling of trees shall not be declared illegal. The HC directive came after Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) filed a writ petition seeking a court order to prevent cutting of trees on the island. An HC division bench of justices Syed Mahmud Hossain and Govindo Chandra Thakur asked the respondents to reply why the government agencies should not be directed to protect the forest from adverse and contrary activities such as felling of trees. - The Daily Star, August 17, 2010.
Move to recruit 101 judges with FF quota
The government has taken initiatives to appoint 101 assistant judges and judicial magistrates in lower courts across the country with a 30 percent quota for the children of freedom fighters for the first time. Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission (BJSC) selects candidates for these posts by holding tests and examinations as per requirements of the government. And the president then appoints them. About 200 posts of assistant judge and judicial magistrate are now vacant, official sources said. - The Daily Star, August 16, 2010.
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