Law
week
Tarique, Koko, Mamun sued for launch capsize
The government has filed a case against Tarique Rahman, Arafat Rahman Koko, and their associate Giasuddin Al Mamun of Messrs Rahman Shippers Bangladesh Ltd in connection with the recent launch capsizal in the Tentulia river. The company's Managing Director Tarique Rahman and its director Arafat Rahman Koko are sons of Opposition Leader also BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, while its another Director Mamun is a close associate of Tarique. The company owns MV Coco-4 that sank in the Tentulia near Nazirpur launch terminal in Lalmohon of Bhola on November 27 with around 2,000 holiday passengers on board. - The Daily Star, December 3, 2009.
HC bench's orders to be reviewed
The attorney general's office has taken initiatives to review the orders passed by a High Court bench in the last six months granting bail to persons convicted and sentenced to imprisonment in different criminal cases. Sources said the High Court bench comprising Justice AFM Abdur Rahman and Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad recently granted bail to a number of persons including 40 convicts sentenced to life term imprisonment by the lower courts in 90 criminal cases. They got bail as the attorney general's office could not properly follow the hearings and orders on the bail petitions, the sources added. - The Daily Star, December 3, 2009.
Ombudsman for good governance likely in January
The government will appoint an ombudsman by next January in order to establish good governance in the country. "We have already started looking for a competent person for the position of ombudsman to probe allegations against any government, semi-government or statutory office or organisation and recommend that the government take proper steps against them," Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said. He was talking to reporters after a meeting with Asian Development Bank Country Director Paul J Heytens at his secretariat office. - The Daily Star, December 2, 2009.
Land remains root cause of conflicts
Disputes over land, the root cause of the crises in Chittagong Hill Tracts, still exist even after 12 years of signing of the CHT Peace Accord. Indigenous and Bangalee people in Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban have had to bear the brunt of the land disputes since 1979 when the then government rehabilitated Bangalee families from the plains in the area. Locals and people concerned say only a political decision of the government after discussions with all quarters can resolve these disputes. - The Daily Star, December 2, 2009.
Canada to deport convicted Nur
The Canadian government has decided to deport Lt Col (retd) SHMB Nur Chowdhury, a convicted fugitive killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to Bangladesh, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed told journalists. "The Canadian police have seized the passport of Nur Chowdhury since he has been illegally staying in Canada," he told a press briefing at his Secretariat office after his return from Canada. "The Canadian police have submitted Nur Chowdhury's passport to the Bangladesh High Commission in Canada in July last year. The police also kept him under a security vigil as part of deportation process," he said. - The Daily Star, December 1, 2009.
Red tape stalls HIV project
As the international community observes World AIDS Day, sources said bureaucratic tangles have stalled the HIV/AIDS Targeted Intervention (HATI) project in Bangladesh for the last 11 months. Sex workers and drug addicts in Bangladesh remain highly vulnerable to HIV infection. For the last eleven months, bureaucratic tangles have stalled the HIV/AIDS Targeted Intervention (HATI) project. An estimated Tk 10 crore worth of contraceptives and medicines are gathering dust in NGO inventories rather than being distributed to the 169,000 sex workers and drug injecting users in Bangladesh. - The Daily Star, December 1, 2009.
3 Rid officials still in hiding
A Brahmanbaria court again issued an order to attach the properties of three absconding persons accused in a case against Rid Pharmaceutical Ltd. The court of Brahmanbaria District and Sessions Judge AFM Mustofa fixed January 20 for the next date of hearing. Abdul Khayer Chowdhury, Comilla zone assistant director of Bangladesh Drug Administration, filed the case against five persons of Rid Pharma on August 11 on charge of manufacturing drugs lacking specified standards. - The Daily Star, November 27, 2009.
17 houses of indigenous people ransacked
At least five women were injured as a local influential person and his men attacked and ransacked 17 houses in an attempt to illegally evict indigenous people in Shialor village in Haripur upazila. Of the injured indigenous women, Baramai Maddi, 46, was committed to Haripur Upazila Health Complex in a critical state. Police said Abdul Alim and his men attacked the indigenous people around 11:30am and badly damaged 17 thatched houses. President of Jatiya Adibashi Parishad of Haripur unit Soniram Hemrom told The Daily Star about 50 people led by Alim launched the attack for illegally evicting them from Som Maddi's ancestral land. - The Daily Star, November 27, 2009.
175 more cases to be dropped
The government decided to drop 175 more 'politically motivated' cases. The decision was taken at the 10th meeting of the inter-ministerial committee formed to deal with cases filed with the intention of political harassment. A total of 675 cases were placed at the meeting but these included no case against BNP-Jamaat leaders and workers. Of the 175 cases recommended for withdrawal, nine are against Chittagong City Corporation Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Ahmed, one each against Jatiya Party secretary general Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Awami League lawmakers Kamal Ahmed Majumder and Ilias Mollah, and two cases each against former legislator Haji Selim and Proshika chief Qazi Faruque Ahmed. - The Daily Star, November 27, 2009.
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