Law Week
Mega trial opens
A trial court took into cognisance charges of the country's largest ever killing case in connection with the BDR carnage at Pilkhana in February 2009. As many as 801 of total 824 accused were hauled before the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Dhaka amid tight security. Apart from the prosecution, several hundred defence lawyers gathered in the courtroom and complained of not receiving any copy of necessary case documents including the charge sheet. In terms of the number of accused this is the largest ever criminal case in which every single defence counsel demanded certified copy of all case documents. -The Daily Star, January 6, 2011.
Local govt bodies remain ineffective
By keeping upazila parishads almost dysfunctional, and showing reluctance to hold long overdue polls to other local government institutions, the Awami League-led government has demonstrated its lack of interest in decentralisation of power. In doing so, the ruling AL also demonstrated its indifference to its own electoral pledges, and commitments stipulated in the party constitution as well. As a result, the prospect of the country's local government system, which is an integral part of the state's executive branch, is still looking bleak, and changes to the political system remain a far cry. -The Daily Star, January 6, 2011.
Trial on with Koko away
Trial of a money laundering case against former premier Khaleda Zia's son Arafat Rahman Koko and Ismail Hossain Saimon, son of former shipping minister late Akbar Hossain, began with deposition of the complainant. Twenty-three cases are pending against Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and Koko. Of those, the money laundering case against Koko is the first which has been put on hearing. Koko and Saimon have been charged in the case with laundering of Tk 23 crore to Singapore. As both Koko and Saimon are absconding, the court started the trial against them in absentia. -The Daily Star, January 5, 2011.
JS sovereign
Parliament is sovereign and everything including the judiciary is accountable to it, Suranjit Sengupta, a parliamentary panel chief, said. The senior Awami League lawmaker also said it is parliament that elects and can impeach the country's president who appoints the chief justice and other judges in consultation with the prime minister. The law ministry is accountable to the parliamentary standing committee on it. So the judiciary too with regard to all its appointments is answerable to the parliamentary committee, he added. -The Daily Star, January 5, 2011.
TIB submits questionnaire, replies to SC
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) the questionnaire of its household survey and replies of the respondents a day after it was asked to do so. A printed copy of the questionnaire was submitted to the court. All other documents containing the litigants' perception of the judiciary were given in three compact disks, said TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman. -The Daily Star, January 5, 2011.
SC won't send rep to JS body meet
Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque at a meeting with all High Court judges decided not to send any representatives from the Supreme Court to any parliamentary bodies. Meeting sources say all the judges opined that the judiciary as per the Constitution is an independent organ of the state and the Supreme Court is also an independent institution. So the SC is not liable to send any representative to the parliamentary standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry, the judges argued. The decision came as the parliamentary body on November 29 last year decided to ask the SC registrar to appear before its next meeting to clarify alleged irregularities in appointment of the district and sessions judge, Dhaka. -The Daily Star, January 4, 2011.
SC spurs govt
The High Court expressed concern over an incident of maiming a child to force him into begging by a gang in the capital and issued a suo moto rule on the government to stop such incidents. The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain said it is astonished at the law enforcers' inaction in taking appropriate steps against the gang that reportedly abducts and maims children and use them to make money. In its directives, the bench asked the government to explain within seven days why law enforcers' inaction against the gang should not be declared illegal. -The Daily Star, January 3, 2011.
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
