<%-- Page Title--%> Law week <%-- End Page Title--%>

March 7, 2004 

Law and order deals with 4 countries soon
Bangladesh is set to sign agreements with four more countries on assistance to improve the law and order situation. Already there is an agreement of this type with the USA. Now the government is negotiating deals with China, India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for taking assistance of different kinds. Under the planned agreement with Pakistan, the Bangladesh police would receive assistance in designing a national highways and motorways police system that will be financed by the ADB. Initially, some 400 officers will be trained for 3 months at an estimated cost of $75 per officer and the major focus of the programme would be how to deal with crimes on the highways. Bangladesh is negotiating a deal with India on joint patrol by BDR and BSF to combat cross-border terrorism and trafficking of drugs, women and children. Exchange of police delegations between the two countries will also be another component of the planned agreement. China will assist Bangladesh in improving the public security system while Saudi Arabia will provide monetary support for modernising the law enforcing. - New Age, 4 March.

Parliament session extended
The ongoing session of the parliament has been extended till 30 March. Business Advisory Committee of the Jatiya Sangsad at a meeting took the decision. The meeting also decided to adjourn the session till March 16. Earlier, the advisory committee decided to run the session till March 4. The current session, after 26 sitting-days since January 18, passed a number of bills and dealt with question-answers, notices and private members' resolutions. But it failed to finish discussion on the thanks motion on the presidential address. The House spent only eight hours and 30 minutes out of 30 hours' allocation, settled by the committee, during the 26 sitting-days. - Law Desk, 5 March.

Judicial service commission formed
President Iajuddin Ahmed constituted a seven-member judicial service commission. Justice MM Ruhul Amin, of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will perform the responsibility of the chairman of the commission. The establishment secretary, finance secretary, law secretary, the register of the Supreme Court, Public Service Commission member Latifur Rahman and the district judge, Dhaka, will be ex-officio members of the commission. -New Age, 5 March.

Bill to establish land survey tribunals passed
The Jatiya Sangsad has passed a bill styled State Acquisition and Tenancy (Amendment) Bill for establishment of land survey tribunals to deal exclusively with disputes on land records and surveys for their speedy disposal. According to the bill there shall be also a land survey appellate tribunal to deal with appeals against any judgement or order of the land survey tribunals. Only the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will have the jurisdiction to hear an appeal against any order or judgement of the appellate tribunal. - Prothom Alo, 28 February.

Speedy Trail Act Amendment Bill placed
The Speedy Trail Act Amendment Bill 2004 has been placed in the parliament seeking a two-year extension. The act was scheduled to expire on April 9 this year. The bill will be passed in the current session of the parliament. Earlier, on 23 February a cabinet meeting approved the extension proposal of the Speedy Trial Act 2002 for two more years through an amendment. The law provides for a special court to try offenders in a period ranging from 30 to 60 days. It suggests rigorous imprisonment of two to five years for crimes disrupting social peace. Offences under the law include hindrance to normal air, rail, road and river traffic movement, vandalism on transport and public and private property, mugging, illicit toll collection, violence in public places, obstruction to tender bidding and works of government officers and employees and their relatives. -Law Desk, 1 March

44 people killed in political violence
Forty-four people were killed, 873 injured, 908 arrested and two were abducted in political violence in the country in February. This was revealed by report of Odhikar, a human rights organisation. The report also said that during this period 13 people died in police and jail custody and three of them died allegedly from torture by law enforcers. Some 127 incidents of violence against children took place. Thirty children died, 15 injured, 22 raped and 27 abducted in these incidents. Besides, 12 children were missing, five arrested, eight trafficked while six committed suicides and two sustained acid injuries. Three journalists were injured, three assaulted and one arrested. In addition, 37 journalists were threatened and cases were filed against 13. Twenty women died in dowry-related incidents while seven others were acid-burnt. The report also said 67 women were raped. - The Daily Star, 2 March.

Abolition of quota system recommendation
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has recommended for revoking quota system in government jobs. Submitting its annual report for the year 2003 to the president, PSC members asked the government to abolish quota system for appointment in vacant government positions. PSC Chairperson presented the report to the president. They stressed accelerating construction works of PSC building. The president thanked them for submitting the annual report in time. -Prothom Alo, 2 March.

6 more BDR battalions to be raised
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia announced on Mar 3 that six more battalions of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) would be raised gradually to further strengthen and expand the paramilitary force. The prime minister said it at the opening speech of the Rifles Reunion 2004. She also said that the government had taken steps so that BDR members could take part in UN peacekeeping missions. - The Daily Star, 4 March.

Charge framed Against Dr. Iqbal
The First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Dhaka has framed charge against former Awami League (AL) MP Dr HBM Iqbal and 29 others in a foreign currency smuggling case. According to the prosecution, the accused in connivance with others collected Saudi riyals equvalent toTk 92 crore from Bangladeshis working in Saudi Arabia in the name of sending them to their relatives in Bangladesh through M/S Rahmania Travels Limited in the year of 1982-1985. But they exchanged riyals with dollars and pounds and sent those to other countries through TT, MT and DD instead of sending to the relatives of Bangladeshi expatriates. As a result, the relatives of the Bangladeshi expatriates were deprived of getting the money and it caused a financial loss to the government. The Bureau of Anti Corruption (Bac) filed a criminal case with Motijheel Police 6 November, 1985. Later, the investigation officer included the names of Dr Iqbal and others in the charge sheet as the investigation revealed their involvement. -Prothom Alo, 5 March.