Law
week
All 29 accused jailed
A special court of Bangladesh Rifles sentenced all the 29 accused of 25 Rifle Battalion to different terms of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in February 25-26 BDR mutiny in 2009. BDR Director General Maj Gen Mohammad Mainul Islam delivered the first verdict of BDR mutiny case in Panchagarh. After the arguments from the defendants and prosecutors on Tuesday, the Special Court-2 delivered the judgment. Thirteen jawans were sentenced to seven years' term while one to six years', one to four years', six to three years', two to two years', five to thirteen months' and another to four months'. - The Daily Star, April 8, 2010.
Pakistan not interfering
Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka Ashraf Qureshi said Pakistan will not interfere in Bangladesh government's move to hold trial of its alleged war criminals since it is an internal affair of this country. That Pakistan is opposing the trial is a "guesswork of the media", he said. "Pakistan believes in sovereignty of Bangladesh and there is no question to interfere by Pakistan in the internal affair of this country," Qureshi told reporters after meeting with Law Minister Shafique Ahmed at his secretariat office. - The Daily Star, April 7, 2010.
Cleanup begins, resistance follows
The Dhaka district administration started an eight-month long demolition drive against illegal structures by the river Buriganga at Nawabchar in Kamrangirchar. A total of 28 illegal structures have been knocked down on the first day of the drive. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) along with police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Fire Service and Power Distribution Company Ltd assisted the district administration to carry out the three-hour drive. Over 70 labourers, BIWTA tugboat Agrani and a bulldozer were used in the drive to reclaim the river area as earmarked by the cadastral survey. - The Daily Star, April 7, 2010.
First verdict in BDR mutiny case
A special court of Bangladesh Rifles fixed to deliver the first verdict in any BDR mutiny case, against 29 jawans of the 25 Rifles Battalion at Panchagarh Battalion Headquarters. After completion of arguments from the defendants and prosecutors yesterday, the Special Court-2 is set to give judgment at around 4:00pm on the mutiny charge since the February 25-26 BDR carnage. All the 29 accused placed their written and oral arguments before the three-member jury panel headed by BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam. Prosecutor of the case and commanding officer of 25 Rifles Battalion Lt Col Sirajul Haque and public prosecutors Mosharaf Hossain Kajol and Monjurul Alam also placed counter arguments before the court. - The Daily Star, April 7, 2010.
Legality of Ershad regime challenged
The High Court directed the government to explain within four weeks why the seventh amendment to the constitution, which legitimises HM Ershad's takeover and the acts under his military rule, should not be adjudged illegal. The bench of Justice Md Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed and Justice Naima Haider came up with the rule after hearing a writ petition. Siddique Ahmed, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison by a martial law court in Chittagong in 1986, filed the petition on January 24. The seventh amendment ratified the proclamation of martial law and other regulations, orders and instructions by Ershad between March 24, 1982, and November 10, 1986. - The Daily Star, April 6, 2010.
No price approval, yet drug in market
Popular Pharmaceuticals Ltd has marketed a drug without the price approval from the government, which the Directorate General of Drug Administration termed a punishable offence. Popular has manufactured Medroxy, a 5-milligramme drug for treating hormonal disorder, and quoted a price of the drug for approval of the Directorate General of Drug Administration. On March 3, Price Fixation Committee of the drug administration held a meeting in this regard and sent its recommendation to the health ministry. - The Daily Star, April 6, 2010.
Speedy Trial Act gets extension
The government decided to extend the term of the Speedy Trial Act by two years for effective and fast dealing with crimes like extortion, tender manipulation, vandalism, mugging, etc. This is the fourth extension from April 10 to April 9, 2012. The third extension by the caretaker government will end on April 9, 2010. The decision came at a regular cabinet meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The Law and Order Disruption Offence (Speedy Trial) Act was enacted on April 10, 2002 for two years to ensure quick trials of the crimes. - The Daily Star, April 6, 2010.
Stalled graft cases to be freed of legal shackle
The Supreme Court cleared the way for trial of a graft case against ruling Awami League lawmaker Habibur Rahman Mollah. In a ruling that has a bearing on several hundred corruption cases, it upheld the High Court verdict that declared legal the way Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against Mollah. Trial proceedings in the case had been stayed since the AL MP filed a writ petition against the HC verdict delivered around 16 months ago. Referring to the SC ruling, ACC officials said they believe similar fate awaits over 500 more petitions against corruption cases filed by the anti-graft body. - The Daily Star, April 5, 2010.
Probe agency gets records
The investigators of war crimes received a list of 1,775 alleged war criminals and accounts of their role during the Liberation War from research-based organisation The War Crimes Facts Finding Committee (WCFFC). The WCFFC voluntarily submitted the list and other documents and evidence to help investigators of the newly formed investigation agency in connection with trial of offenders, who committed genocide, crimes against humanity and peace in 1971. WCFFC chief Dr MA Hasan handed over the list and documents to Abdul Matin, chief investigator of the agency. Hasan told reporters most on the list have died and only 400 or 500 are still alive. - The Daily Star, April 5, 2010.
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