Women's reserved JS seats challenged
Opposition political parties and civil society members filed a writ
petition with the High Court against the government, the speaker and
the Election Commission yesterday, challenging the new constitutional
provision of 45 reserved seats for women in parliament. The petition
said the 14th amendment to the constitution, which parliament passed
on May 16 introducing 45 reserved seats in the House for women, goes
against the fundamentals of the constitution. It also termed the new
provision contradictory to the fundamental principles of the national
policy for the development of women. The provision for reserved seats
will be effective for 10 years from the first sitting of the next
parliament. Daily Star, 20th July.
Army
official looks to HC for ducking court appearance
The lone army officer among four top government officials facing contempt
charges for violation of court order for army deployment in Dhaka-10
by-polls will seek exemption from appearing in the High Court (HC) in
person. Lawyer of the four said the rest -- Prime Minister's Principal
Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, Home Secretary Omar Farooque and Defence
Secretary KM Ehsanul Huq -- will appear in court. On July 12, the bench
asked the four to explain why they should not be charged with contempt
of court after Bikalpa Dhara candidate Abdul Mannan brought the contempt
charge for non-deployment of army in each polling centre in the July
1 ballot as ordered by the HC. The chamber judge directed full-bench
hearing of the appeal on last Saturday, but Mahbubur withdrew the prayer
as the petitioners decided not to proceed with the petition. Daily
Star, 20th July.
Ctg
Arms Haul
The Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge here yesterday accepted the
charge sheet in country's biggest ever arms haul case and suggested
departmental action against the first investigation officer (IO) and
rectification of flaws detected in the charge sheet. Metropolitan Sessions
Judge Fazlul Karim also ordered a supplementary charge sheet to be submitted
within the next 30 days and fixed August 12 as the date for hearing
of the case. Earlier the charge sheet was submitted on June 11. But
the court could not accept it immediately as there surfaced some discrepancies
between the first information report (FIR) and the charge sheet. The
first hearing to decide on the acceptance of the charge sheet was held
on July 15. Daily Star, 20th July.
SC
declares illegal DCC shopping complex
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday declared illegal
the initiative of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) to construct a multi-storeyed
shopping complex in front of GPO near Bangabandhu Avenue. The 1.2-acre
land of the under-construction shopping complex, Udayan Market, was
earmarked in the master plan of the city for car parking. The site is
the only open land, through which air and light pass to the adjoining
buildings. Besides, if the DCC constructs the complex with 341 shops
and more office spaces, the area will suffer more traffic congestion,
Bela said. Following the beginning of the construction in 1995, Sharif
Nurul Ambia, joint secretary of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, filed a
petition with the High Court (HC) with legal support of Bela. However,
the HC vacated the stay order and discharged the petition in the final
hearing in 2000, against which Bela appealed.
Prothom Alo, 20th July.
Post
mortem of Suman reaches Tongi police
The post mortem report of Sumon Ahmed Maumder, a charge-sheet witness
in the case of the Awami League lawmaker Ahsanullah Master, was sent
to the Tongi police station on Tuesday.The police admitted that they
have received the post mortem report in the afternoon. A leader of the
Juba League, AL's youth wing, Suman, died a few hours after being held
by the Rapid Action Battalion, on July 10 in the industrial town.
New Age,21 July.
HC
grants bail to Baten
The High Court on Tuesday granted bail to MA Baten, a special superintendent
of the police, till the charge is framed against him for trying to bribe
the state minister for home affairs. Baten of the Criminal Investigation
Department was arrested on June 3 from the office of Lutfozzaman Babar
for offering the state minister a bribe of Tk 300,000 to cancel his
transfer order. Baten was the investigation officer in the murder case
of Awami League lawmaker Ahsanullah Master, who was shot dead at a political
rally in Tongi on May 7. New Age,21 July.
Man
arrested by Rab dies in Kushtia
An alleged criminal died at a Kushtia hospital yesterday, 10 days after
the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested him with
two others in the town. Jumman Khan, 26, son of Abdus Sobhan of Charkuthipara,
died at Kushtia General Hospital, sources said. The body was handed
over to his family members in the noon after autopsy. On July 10, Rab
officials held Jumman, Minar Hossain, 25, son of Abdus Shahid, and Anwar,
30, son of Erfan Ali at Minar's house in the town with two foreign rifles,
four bullets and three other weapons, police said. Of them, Minar died
at Kushtia General Hospital on July 11, sources added. Rab officials
handed over Anwar and Jumman to police soon after Minar's death. Both
were undergoing treatment at the same hospital, police added. Families
of Jumman and Minar claimed that the crackdown force tortured them in
a Rab camp and both died due to torture. Daily Star, 21st July.
Ctg
arms case IO relieved of charge
The Criminal Investigation Department has relieved its Chittagong zone
assistant superintendent of police, AKM Kabiruddin, investigation officer
of three sensational cases, including the April 2 arms haul. Kabiruddin
on Wednesday handed all the documents and relevant papers of the three
cases arms hall, smuggling and murder of businessman Reazaur Rahman
Zakir over to a Chittagong Metropolitan Police official, an official
of the Chittagong police said. The CID headquarters on Tuesday issued
the order on charge of alleged negligence in duty. The headquarters
have also made a reshuffle. Sylhet zone CID assistant superintendent
of police Mir Nowsher Ali has been assigned to investigate the cases
of the arms hall and the smuggling. New Age ,22 July.
EC
to ask ministry to punish surgeons
The Election Commission (EC) decided to ask the health ministry to initiate
departmental action against two of its officials for violating the public
servants' code of conduct as well as electoral rules by campaigning
for the ruling coalition candidate in Gazipur-2 by-election slated for
August 1. The EC also summoned the four-party alliance candidate, Prof
Abdul Mannan, to appear before it on July 25 Sunday. The commission
requires Mannan to clarify his position regarding an accusation of transgressing
electoral code of conduct, which the electoral inquiry committee (EIC)
for Gazipur-2 by-polls has brought against him. Daily Star, 23 July.
Account
number must for AIT collection
The government will soon make tax collection account number mandatory
for both public and private sectors to ensure that advance income tax
is properly deposited with the exchequer. The plan follows widespread
allegation that a handful of government offices never deposit the tax
money collected at source, the sources said. A good number of government
officials in connivance with a section of bank officials have allegedly
been taking advantage of the absence of a mechanism to ensure that the
money deducted at source in advance income tax is deposited properly.
New Age,23 July.
