Law
week
Get anti-stalking policy
Expressing grave concern over repeated instances of men stalking women and girls with tragic consequences, the High Court directed the government to formulate a policy and guidelines to arrest the prevalence of the crime. The court asked the law secretary to work on it in consultation with secretaries to the home, education, labour, local government, women and children affairs ministries, and the cabinet division; and with the inspector general of police (IGP). An HC bench ordered all deputy commissioners (DCs) of the country, and some other government agencies to remain on high alert regarding such stalking, and to take effective steps. The law ministry will be responsible to turn in a report within a month about the steps to be taken. -The Daily Star, November 02, 2010.
HC bench goes for split orders
A division bench of the High Court passed split orders on a writ petition challenging the 1974 agreement among Bangladesh, India and Pakistan under which 195 Pakistani prisoners of war (POWs) were released. Senior member of the bench Justice Mohammad Anwarul Haque rejected the petition. And junior member of the bench Justice Syed Abu Kowser Md Dabirush-shan issued a rule upon the government to explain within four weeks why the tripartite agreement should not be declared illegal. The rule also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to bring the 195 POWs back to Bangladesh to put them on trial. Wing Commander (retd) Hamidullah Khan filed the writ petition in September as public interest litigation. -The Daily Star, November 02, 2010.
Court orders Koko's arrest
A Dhaka court issued a warrant for arrest of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko in a money-laundering case. It also directed the police to report by November 30 on execution of the warrant. “The court order means there's no legal bar to arresting Koko on his return to the country,” Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, special public prosecutor dealing with graft cases, told The Daily Star. Koko, who was arrested in September 2007 on graft charges and paroled for treatment abroad in July the following year, is now in Bangkok. Incensed, pro-BNP lawyers brought out a procession on the court premises, demanding cancellation of the arrest warrant. Asked about the court decision, State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku said, “How long will a person be on parole? Should parole last forever?” Talking to The Daily Star last night, he also said, “Since the court, not the government, has issued the warrant, Koko must face it. If he is found innocent in the trial, he will come out free.” -The Daily Star, November 01, 2010.
Fasten seatbelt, stop jaywalking
Make sure you fasten your seatbelt in your car from today. Or else you might be fined up to Tk 500. If you are walking, stick to the pavements and use footbridges or zebra crossings to get to the other side. Even pedestrians will be fined for jaywalking. Bangladesh Road Transport Authority starts a drive today against motor vehicle ordinance violators exercising executive power, said BRTA Chairman Mohammad Ayubur Rahman. BRTA would coordinate the efforts of Rab, police and the district administration in the drive. Even though the drive aims to reduce accidents, most motorists and pedestrians are unaware of the drive due to poor campaign by the government. BRTA's campaign regarding the use of seatbelts, footpaths, footbridges and underpasses, helmets and against the use of mobile phones while driving apparently makes little impact on people as the campaign is restricted to a few print and electronic media houses. -The Daily Star, November 01, 2010.
Target genocide apology
After a break of three years, the Bangladeshi and Pakistani foreign secretaries will hold talks on bilateral relations at a two-day annual consultation to be held in Islamabad on November 1-2. Bangladesh will dominate the talks with its three vital issues including Pakistan's apology for the 1971 genocide. It will officially raise the issue of its continual demand for repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and division of assets at the two days talks. Official sources said Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes would lead an eight-member Bangladesh delegation at the upcoming consultation with his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir. “This will be an ice-melting session in the bilateral relations between the two countries as no such meeting was held for long since the last Foreign Secretary-level consultation in Dhaka in August 2007," said a foreign ministry official. - The Daily Star, October 31, 2010.
Muhith spurs digital land recording
Rapid digitisation of land recording system is a priority for the government to curb widespread corruption in land management in the country, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said. "Automating the land recording is certainly our priority at the moment under the digitisation process of the country", the finance minister said at the inauguration of the BCS ICT World 2010 in the city. "This could be a effective solution to the rampant corruption in the land registration, mutation, and other land-related irregularities that is tangling the sector ", he added. The finance minister's view came at a time when the government is moving to fully computerise land management system at all the upazila AC (Land) offices in the country to digitally track down and update all land related data and records through easy access. - The Daily Star, October 31, 2010.
Army sues 50-60 for Rupganj violence
Bangladesh Army filed a case against 50 to 60 unidentified people in connection with the recent clashes between law-enforcers and villagers in Rupganj of Narayanganj. Aminur Rahman, a warrant officer of unit 34 of East Bengal Regiment in Dhaka Cantonment, filed the case with Rupganj Police Station around 12:30am. The case statement claims that the accused inflicted a loss of Tk 45.2 lakh on the army by attacking its camps during the violence. It also says a local vested interest group had been creating various types of obstacles to an army housing scheme in the area over the last few months. The group created a negative image and fear of the army and the housing scheme among the local people including landowners through instigation, the case reads. A total of 138 army personnel including officers who were deployed in four camps in Rupganj on that day have been made witnesses in the case. - The Daily Star, October 30, 2010.
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