Law
week
Over 50 canals near death
Although over 50 affluent canals once used to flow through the capital and added to its lifeline, most of the water channels have been fully or partially choked, while the rest are under serious threat thanks to unabated encroachment. The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) had earlier taken initiatives in line with a decision of the last caretaker government to recover 26 out of 43 canals from encroachers. However, the initiatives have so far yielded very little success. -The Daily Star, July 09, 2009.
Preserve war memorials, historic sites
The High Court in a judgment directed the government to identify and preserve all the important historic places related to the republic's Liberation War. The court asked it to set up memorial monuments at the historic places at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital maintaining international standard so that people from home and abroad can pay homage to martyred freedom fighters. -The Daily Star, July 09, 2009.
Demarcate 43 Dhaka canals
A parliamentary committee asked the land ministry to demarcate 43 canals in the capital city to recover them from grabbers who built various establishments on the canals. The parliamentary standing committee on the land ministry also asked the ministry to file cases under the land law against the encroachers who occupied lands and built various structures on the bank of the rivers showing false documents. -The Daily Star, July 09, 2009.
JS swipes at TIB
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) came under fire in the House for its report titled 'Parliament Watch 2009' that says Tk 5.41 crore got wasted due to quorum crisis in the inaugural session of the ninth parliament. Taking the floor on a point of order, Chief Whip Abdus Shahid blasted TIB for giving 'false information' on quorum crisis. Treasury bench lawmakers supported his views thumping desks. -The Daily Star, July 08, 2009.
Govt's Tipaimukh handling slated
Environmentalists and academics called for a greater movement at national and international levels to resist what they said 'India's conspiracy' to construct Tipaimukh dam without sharing information with Bangladesh. They also slammed the government's role in dealing with India about water issues. India has neither ensured water flow in the Ganges as per the Ganges Treaty nor shared information about Tipaimukh Dam, which is sheer violation of the treaty, they said. -The Daily Star, July 08, 2009.
Cabinet okays law changes
The cabinet in principle approved a proposal to amend the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973 to ensure fairness and neutrality in holding trial of war criminals. The draft copy of the amendment will be placed in parliament within one or two days for its passage, said Law Minister Shafique Ahmed while talking to reporters at his secretariat office. Meanwhile, the cabinet meeting also endorsed the draft of the Mobile Court Bill 2009 aiming at empowering the executive magistrates again to run mobile courts for holding summary trial of some specific offences. -The Daily Star, July 07, 2009.
Draft law on protection of Bangabandhu family okayed
The cabinet approved a draft law to ensure security of the family members of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with immediate effect. The weekly cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, gave the approval in principle to the proposed law titled “Father of the Nation's Family Members Security Act 2009.” Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder placed the draft of the law at the meeting, which endorsed it after a brief discussion. -The Daily Star, July 07, 2009.
Forest Dept to legally fight tree
plunderers
Forest authorities have decided to fight a legal battle against the plunderers of 15,000 Keura and Bain trees on a vast 40-acre forest belt near Sonaichhari coast in Sitakunda two days after razing of the greens. A few influential people in a bid to develop ship-breaking yards hired workers, who felled the trees worth over Tk 1.1 crore with electric saws and machetes. The move by the forest authorities came following press reports and subsequent enquiries by the ministry concerned. -The Daily Star, July 06, 2009.
SC lawyer misquotes SC order
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman served a legal notice to Manzill Murshid, a Supreme Court lawyer, asking him to personally apologise to him for making a statement before the media misquoting a High Court order. The notice asked Manzill to reply within 24 hours after its receipt. Manzill told The Daily Star that he had mistakenly made the statement on the HC order and he has already regretted his mistake through a written statement to the media. -The Daily Star, July 06, 2009.
MPs need code of conduct
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) came up with a set of recommendations including the ones for formulating a code of conduct for lawmakers and measures to strengthen committee system to make parliament effective. A number of lawmakers and legal experts agreed with the TIB recommendations, saying there is no alternative to empowering the committees to ensure parliamentary supervision on the executive and make the Jatiya Sangsad functional. -The Daily Star, July 05, 2009.
MP made prisoner of his party
The amended article 70 of the constitution has kept MPs "prisoners" of their own party since restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991, preventing them from playing due role in parliament freely. According to the amended provisions, parliament membership will be vacated if a lawmaker present in the House abstains from voting for their party that nominated them in the election, or does not attend any particular sitting of parliament ignoring party direction. -The Daily Star, July 05, 2009.
Crime, extortion still rule Karwan Bazar
Karwan Bazar, the largest wholesale kitchen market in the capital, remains a safe haven for extortionists, who operate with impunity thanks to backing from a section of law enforcers. After the triple-murder a week ago, police vigilance there has increased, yet extortion is still rampant. -The Daily Star, July 04, 2009.
Corresponding with the Law Desk
Please send your mails, queries, and opinions to: Law Desk, The Daily Star 19 Karwan Bazar, Dhaka-1215; telephone 8124944,8124955,fax 8125155; email: dslawdesk@yahoo.co.uk,lawdesk@thedailystar.net
