Two rules for lower court appointments planned
The government is likely to make two sets of rules in line
with a 12-point Supreme Court directive on separation of the judiciary
towards appointment of 70 assistant judges in lower courts against vacancy
of 210 posts. Drafts of the Bangladesh Judicial Service (Constitution,
Recruitment to Entry Posts and Absorption) Rules and the Bangladesh
Judicial Service (Posting, Promotion, Leave, Control and Discipline)
Rules will be placed before the prime minister time next week for approval.
If approved, the draft rules will be submitted to the president for
promulgation through gazette notification.-NewAge, 25 May.
Scotland
Yard in city to probe shrine blast
A team of the UK police service, Scotland Yard, arrived in Dhaka yesterday
to investigate Friday's deadly bomb blast at Hazrat Shahjalal Shrine
in Sylhet that injured British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar
Choudhury among 70 other people and killed three. The investigation
goes two-pronged as the Criminal Investigation Department and Scotland
Yard members with the help of local police will investigate the second
bomb blast in five months at the 700-year-old shrine.-Daily Star,
24 May.
Qazi
Faruque remanded
Proshika President Qazi Faruque Ahmed yesterday was placed on three-day
police remand in two corruption cases filed by the Bureau of Anti-Corruption
(BAC). Police produced Faruque before the court of Chief Metropolitan
Magistrate (CMM), Dhaka at around 2:45pm with two separate prayers,
each for a five-day remand.-Daily Star, 24 May.
HC
order to reconsider 'Kula' for Mannan
The High Court yesterday directed the returning officer (RO) for Dhaka
-10 by-election to reconsider allocation of "Kula" in favour
of the Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) candidate Major (retired) Abdul
Mannan.-Daily Star, 24 May.
4
gets life for killing brickfield owner
A Dhaka Court on Saturday sentenced four persons to life term
for killing one Saleh Mohammad on January 22 in 2001 at Savar Upazila
in Dhaka district.The convicts are Bhasani, Sayem alias Shamim,Mohammad
Israfil and Mustaquin. All the convicts except Mustaquin were present
in the court during the pronouncement of the judgement The court also
fined them TK 10,000 each. They will suffer another one year in jail
if they fail to pay the fine.The court framed charges against them on
January 26 this year and trial was completed in 107 working days. -Daily
Star, 24 May.
Cabinet
okays draft of EPZ trade union act
The Cabinet on Sunday approved the "EPZ Labour Organisation
and Industrial Relations Act 2004" that allows trade union in the
country's export-processing zones. An official announcement said the
draft new law recognised "the rights of the workers of the industrial
enterprises in the export-processing zones to form trade unions".
The Cabinet also endorsed a proposal for amending relevant section of
the Penal Code to raise the "Official Age of Criminal Responsibility"
of children. -Bangladesh Observer, 24 May.
Ex-BTTB
boss gets 180yrs for graft
A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced former chairman of Bangladesh
Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) Maksud Ali Khan to 180-year imprisonment
for embezzling Tk 10 crore in six graft cases. Judge Rezaul Karim Khan
of the Special Court for Dhaka Division handed down the verdict in the
absence of the convict and fined him Tk 12.8349 crore. The convict will
have to serve another 30 years in jail in failure to pay the fine. The
court also directed the district magistrate to take steps to collect
the fine in the event of the convict's failure to pay. -Daily Star,25
May.
No
progress in Custom House theft case
No
progress in the sensational case of looting goods worth over Taka one
hundred million from the warehouse of Chittagong Custom House is yet
in sight, official sources said. Officials in the Chittagong Custom
House alleged that influential quarters reportedly involved in the theft
were trying to divert the investigation through putting pressure on
the police and investigation officials. -Bangladesh Observer, 25
May,04
FBI
special squad likely to arrive
Extending
the hands of co-operation to the British, a special squad of FBI (Federal
Bureau of Intelligence) is likely to reach Dhaka for conducting a full-fledged
inquiry into the Sylhet bomb blast incident. FBI team may arrive in
Dhaka after getting approval from the Bangladesh government. A senior
intelligence official told The Bangladesh Observer that a special team
of British Military Intelligence may arrive in Dhaka very soon for the
same purpose. -Bangladesh Observer, 26 May.
Review
petition of Haji Selim's rejected
The
High Court yesterday rejected a revision petition filed by Haji Selim,
a former lawmaker and Joint General Secretary of Dhaka City Awami League,
in a ransack and bomb blast case pending in a Speedy Trial Tribunal
of Dhaka. Now the proceedings of the case will continue in the Speedy
Trial Tribunal. -Bangladesh Observer, 26 May.
Tarique
to sue Hasina for defamation
BNP
joint secretary general Tarique Rahman is to file a Tk 100-crore defamation
suit against Sheikh Hasina and Abdul Jalil unless they apologized for
their "derogatory" remarks about him within a week. His lawyer
Barrister Nawshad Zamir served two legal notices on the Awami League
president and leader of the opposition and the AL general secretary
for allegedly casting aspersions on Tarique.The legal notice served
on Hasina mentioned 13 remarks reportedly made by her about the rising
BNP leader and published in national dailies. -New Age, 26 May.
Order
to add word 'Muslim' with Salimullah Hall
The
High Court yesterday ordered the government and the Dhaka University
authorities to add the word "Muslim" with the name "Salimullah
Hall" of the University of Dhaka.The order came upon a writ petition
filed by Rakib Uddin Ahmed, a former student of Salimullah Hall, challenging
the decision of Dhaka University authorities to pen through word "Muslim"
from the name "Salimullah Muslim Hall".A division bench of
the High Court comprising Justice Joinul Abedin and Justice Sharif Uddin
Chaklader also declared illegal the decision taken by the Dhaka University
authorities to strike off the word "Muslim". - Independent,
26 May.
High
Court stays by-poll in Dhaka-10 till June 12
The
High Court on Wednesday stayed all proceedings of the by-election in
Dhaka-10 constituency till June 12 following a dispute over election
symbol allocation. The by-election was scheduled for June 6 and the
High Court interruption came when electioneering was at its peak in
the constituency. -Bangladesh Today, 27 May.
Appeal
against HC stay on Dhaka-10 by-polls
It
has become a sheer mystery as to who filed the appeal petition against
the High Court verdict staying all proceedings of the parliamentary
by-election to Dhaka-10 constituency until June 12.
The appeal came after the High Court on Wednesday issued the stay order
as Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) candidate for Dhaka-10 Abdul Mannan
filed a writ petition, being denied the election symbol Kula. The by-poll
was slated for June 6.Court records show the returning officer (RO)
of the constituency filed the petition with the Appellate Division of
the Supreme Court, which is tantamount to jumping the hierarchy of the
Election Commission (EC).-Daily Star,27 May.
Court
bans journalists
The Special Bench of the Appellate Division yesterday banned newspersons
from the next hearing of the petition filed by returning officer (RO)
of the Dhaka-10 parliamentary by-polls against the High Court order
that stayed all election proceedings in the constituency until 12 June.
- Daily Star, 28 May.