Law
week
Law soon to protect consumers' rights
The 38th World Standards Day was observed in the country with a call to maintain quality of goods and services at all levels to sustain in open market economy. Every year the day is observed across the world out of necessity to maintain quality and keeping uniformity with the international standards in producing any goods to improve the living quality of people. This year the theme was 'Standards and the citizens: Contributing to society'. President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in separate messages highlighted the importance of the day to protect the citizens' rights to get quality goods and services to meet their basic needs. The president in his message said government efforts as well as massive social campaign are necessary to ensure supply of quality goods in the market. He said there is no alternative to producing quality goods to sustain in the open market economy and competitive world. The chief adviser said the issue of protecting the rights of consumers is very important in the present era of globalisation. Out of that realisation, the government has taken the initiative to frame a law to protect the interests of the consumers, he said. The regional offices of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the national organisation to look after the quality of agricultural and industrial goods and services in the country, organised different programmes to mark the day. -BSS, October 17.
No desire to become president: Gen Moeen
Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed dismissed speculations about his becoming president, saying that he has no such intentions. "Many questions are lurking in many people's minds, but time will give answers to all those questions… I have no desire to become president," he told reporters at Bangladesh High Commission. General Moeen, who arrived in London en route to the USA, said there is no scope for considering army as a separate entity. The army is part of government. Like general people, the army also wants clean democracy in Bangladesh. He said appointment of consultants is being considered to make the caretaker government more dynamic. Constitutional provisions are being examined in this regard. Narrating the background of declaration of the state of emergency and installation of a new caretaker government, the chief of army staff said the country was heading for a civil war in the wake of violent political activities, absence of law and order and distrust about voter list. General Moeen said priority of the incumbent government is to restore democracy through free and fair elections and transfer of power. -UNB, London, October 17.
Judiciary separation from November 1
Chief Justice (CJ) Md Ruhul Amin said the separation of judiciary from the executive will be effective from November 1 and this has been possible because of the congenial atmosphere now prevailing in the country. "The Supreme Court continued its efforts to separate the judiciary from the administration, but without such a congenial atmosphere it would not be so easy or even possible to accomplish the task," he said.
The CJ made the remarks while addressing an orientation programme for additional district and sessions judges and joint district and sessions judges, who have been appointed as chief judicial magistrates under the new provision, at Judicial Administration Training Institute. Chaired by Justice MD Hamidul Haque, director general of the institute, the function was also addressed by Law Adviser Mainul Hosein and Justice MM Ruhul Amin of the Appellate Division. Appreciating the role of the present caretaker government in separating the judiciary, the CJ said it would not be possible for the Supreme Court alone to separate the judiciary if all relevant quarters, including the government, did not provide necessary supports in this regard. -BSS, October 18.
ACC sues 11 Kashba ward commissioners
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed cases against 11 commissioners of Kashba pourasabha in Brahmanbaria district for corruption and causing loss of government revenue. Shaheen Ara Mamataz, assistant director of ACC in Brahmanbaria, filed the cases with Kasba Police Station following investigation of a written complaint filed by Commissioner Tajul Islam seven months ago. The accused are -- Abul Hossain, Md Jasim Uddin, Md Akter Hossain, Md Hirachan Mia, Md Shahidul Islam, Md Farook Ahmed, Nurunnabi Dulal, Nizam Uddin Sarker, Shiuly Akter, Anwara Begum and Ayesha Akter. Kasba police arrested the first five of them. The accused commissioners committed different types of corruption including the leasing of shops at low rates and causing loss of government money, the ACC official said. The name of another accused, pourasava administrator Md Rafiqul Islam, could not be included in the cases as he died on April 17, said an ACC source. -The Daily Star, October 18.
Gatco Case
ACC wants ex-officials' addresses for quizzing
The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) has asked the establishment ministry to provide its investigators with addresses of some retired government officials for questioning in connection with the Gatco graft case. Meanwhile, the ACC investigators probing the Gatco (Global Agro Trade Pvt Co Ltd) scam questioned an official of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA). In Dhaka, its investigators seized various bank documents, records and cheques as evidence of the scam from Sonali Bank's local office located at Motijheel. The corruption watchdog in a letter to the establishment ministry asked it to provide the ACC investigators with addresses of the retired government officials after the investigators were unable to question a number of government officials of the then prime minister's office (PMO) and planning ministry due to unavailability of addresses of the officials.
Former principal secretary to the PMO Kamal Siddiqui, former director of planning ministry Talebor Rahman and a former director general (DG) of the same ministry are included on the list of government officials to be questioned by the ACC. The officials are to be questioned as they were in charge of different government offices concerned when Gatco was awarded the controversial container-handling job in Dhaka and Chittagong. Three senior principal officers of Sonali Bank handed over the bank documents and records to the ACC at its local office located at Sonali Bank head office in Dhaka. -The Daily Star, October 18.
AL against appointing more advisers
Awami League (AL) said that it would not be right to expand the caretaker government through appointing new advisers or consultants. "We don't want more advisers to be appointed and it would not be right to expand the government's size as there is only a few months left for holding the elections," AL Acting President Zillur Rahman told the reporters at his Gulshan residence in the capital. The reaction came a day after Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed said in London that an expansion of the advisory council is being considered and the government is also thinking of appointing consultants to accelerate the pace of work in the administration. The AL acting chief, however, thanked the army chief on his remark that he does not have any ambition of becoming the country's head of state. Zillur again demanded release of the detained party president Sheikh Hasina, other senior leaders and as well as the leaders of the AL's front organisations. "It is legal to give them bail, but denying bail is a breach of law," the veteran AL leader said. If Sheikh Hasina is given bail, she would not flee the country, Zillur said adding that if she wanted to flee, she would not have returned home from the US. -The Daily Star, October 18.
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