General News
Monday, September 15, 2003
Compiled by SDNP
Head lines
Some amendments
made to existing laws
to restore
confidence: Moudud
The Bangladesh
Observer
Minister for Law, Justice
and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Moudud Ahmed on Saturday said the
government has a strong political will to update the existing laws aimed
at restoring confidence of people in the legal system, reports BSS.
“Necessary amendments have
been made in the civil and criminal procedure code by enacting requisite
laws, including alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system,” he said
while addressing a workshop on ‘Legal Reform’ here organised by Bangladesh
Enterprise Institute (BEI).
BEI president Farooq
Sobhan presided over the workshop while former Chief Justice Mustafa Kamal
and former Chief Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury and senior Advocate
Barrister Rafiq-ul- Haque also spoke.
Mostafa Faruque Mohammed,
adviser, BEI presented the working paper on ‘Legal Reform’ under the
project “Reducing the Cost of Doing Business in Bangladesh.”
The law minister said
procrastination in the dispensation of justice affects the litigants. In
many cases, he said, it takes years to settle a case in the court. “To end
such delays some new laws have been enacted and some existing laws
amended, including ADR system for quick settlement of disputes for saving
litigants’ money and time.
The law minister said the
very spirit of enacting the laws is to reduce delays as well as cost and
resolve litigation within the shortest possible time. Referring to the
introduction of speedy trial court, he said, more then 2,200 sensational
cases were disposed of in the last ten months in the country.
“Some lawyers are trying
to mislead the people by creating anarchy with political motive against
the pro-people steps taken by the government in the country’s legal
system,” he added.
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The Bangladesh
Observer
Left party leaders in a
protest rally in Dhaka on Saturday blasted the World Trade Organization (WTO)
for its partisan role in favour of developed countries, reports BSS.
Addressing the rally at
Muktangan, they said everything including water, power, health and
education of the poor countries would go under the control of
multinational companies if the developed countries are allowed to frame
rules according to their will in the Cancun Conference of the WTO.
Presided over by
Coordinator of Left Democratic Front (LDF) Morshed Ali, the rally was
addressed, among others, by Nirmal Sen of Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal,
Mujahidul Islam Selim of CPB, Dilip Barua of Samyabadi Dal, AKM Mahbubul
Haque of BSD, Saiful Haque of Workers’ Party and Farida Akhter of
Sammilita Nari Samaj.
They said all rules and
regulations of WTO are being used as tools for earning profit by the
multinational companies. The WTO rules have totally changed the perception
of national sovereignty, governmental system and civil rights, they said.
The rally was followed by a procession, which paraded different city
thoroughfares.
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The
Bangladesh Observer
The 171 MW Baghabari Power
Plant was formally turned into a strategic business unit (SBU) from
Thursday, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) sources said on
Saturday, reports BSS.
The SBU, innovated in Japan, aims at making the power plant a profitable
concern under the power sector reforms programme undertaken by the
government.
The new unit will enjoy
autonomous status gradually with its own work strategy, and financial and
administrative powers. The SBU proposal for the gas-fired Baghabari plant
was passed on August 19 last year.
BPDB Chairman Syed Abdul Mayeed announced the plant as the second SBU unit
in the country after the Haripur Power Plant on September 11 and urged
engineers and employees to be sincere in developing the power plant to the
level of the international standard.
Speaking on the occasion,
Syed Abdul Mayeed said all the power plants would be turned into SBU
gradually to infuse dynamism in the power sector.
From now on, he said, officials and employees of the plant would get share
of profits, but at the same they have to bear the responsibilities of
losses too.
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Bangladesh wants socio-economic dev thru' SAARC
President tells outgoing Pak high commissioner
UNB,
Dhaka, The Daily Star
President Iajuddin Ahmed called for enhancing cooperation between Dhaka
and Islamabad in the fields of science, technology, education and culture
under the institutional framework of Bangladesh-Pakistan Joint Economic
Commission.
He said Bangladesh "firmly believes in economic and
social development through regional cooperation under the aegis of the
SAARC".
He made the observations when outgoing Pakistan High
Commissioner Iqbal Ahmed Khan called on him at Bangabhaban yesterday.
The president suggested widening the bilateral
cooperation in education at the levels of government and private
institutions.
He preferred initiating linkage programme for teachers
and students between the universities of the two countries.
He thanked the high commissioner for his constructive
role in this regard. He also laid importance on cooperation for the
development of tourism sector.
Turning to investment, Iajuddin said Pakistani
entrepreneurs could avail of the investment opportunities, friendly
policies and incentives on offer here.
The high commissioner expressed his satisfaction at the
growing friendly and bilateral relations between the two countries.
He thanked the government of Bangladesh for extending
sincere cooperation to him in discharge of his duty.
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Bangladesh
has ample scope for gas export, says US envoy
Staff
Correspondent, Sylhet,
The Daily Star
US Ambassador Harry K Thomas has said there is ample scope to export a
portion of Bangladesh's natural gas.
"However, it depends on the government of Bangladesh
and its people whether to export the natural gas or not," he said.
The US envoy was addressing a press conference at Hafiz
complex in Sylhet yesterday after inaugurating a US catalogue show there.
He said Bangladesh could develop its infrastructure
like roads, bridges, culverts, schools and colleges with earnings from gas
export.
Replying to a question, Thomas said there should be a
transparent arrangement with international oil companies in case the
government decides to go for gas export.
Replying to another question, he claimed that the
number of successful visa applicants from Bangladesh has gone up during
the recent months.
Refuting the allegation of decline in issuance of visa,
he said 82 per cent of student visa applications at the US embassy last
year were successful.
However, he said almost all countries had to strengthen
their security arrangements after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Describing Bangladesh as a good friend of the US, he
said Bangladesh is one of those countries which expressed solidarity with
the US immediately after the 9/11 attacks.
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Govt
plans deep seaport to perk up trade
Committee works on preliminary regional co-opn
formula, foreign investment
Rafiq Hasan,
The Daily Star
The government has taken a fresh initiative to set up a deep seaport in
view of the increasing volume of foreign trade and mounting pressure on
Chittagong Port.
Akram point, around 60 kilometres from Mongla Port, is
suitable for the deep seaport, according to shipping ministry sources.
The government is also considering a regional approach
towards implementing such a massive project, a top official said without
giving more details.
"We are thinking of a regional approach to such a huge
project involving several hundred crore taka because it may not be
cost-effective in the perspective of our trade alone," said Shipping
Secretary Zulfiqar Haidar Choudhury.
A high-powered committee headed by Director General of
Shipping Ahsanul Azim is doing preliminary work to that end and taking
steps to attract foreign investment for carrying out a feasibility study
on the proposed port.
"Foreign investors would be attracted if we can show
them the prospect for a huge volume of trade involving our neighbouring
countries," Zulfiqar said.
Earlier, a feasibility study on a deep seaport,
conducted during the Awami League rule, suggested Moheshkhali in Cox's
Bazar as an ideal place. However, no further progress was made in this
regard.
This time, the government is considering Akram point
for the proposed port in the perspective of a regional approach, said the
sources.
The distance between Dhaka and Mongla is about 90
kilometres, less than that between Dhaka and Chittagong.
Bangla Bandh border checkpoint in Panchagarh district
will be opened soon for trade by road between Bangladesh and Nepal, they
added.
A direct road link with Nepal and Bhutan will be
established after completion of Rupsha and Padma bridges. Rupsha bridge is
likely to be complete by the end of next year. Steps are underway to
construct a bridge on the Padma at Pakshi.
A senior official said the shipping ministry will also
apprise the prime minister of the necessity of shifting Mongla Port to
Akram point.
Meanwhile, steps have been taken to gear up the
activities of Mongla Port. Non-arrival of foreign ships at the port
greatly affects it.
The port authorities have submitted a project proposal
and also sought Tk 12 crore for a golden handshake programme to slash the
number of dock workers to 1,200 from around 4,000. Frequent hartal and
strikes by dock workers harmed port activities, sources pointed out.
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MPs demand action against education secretary
STAFF REPORTER, The Independent
The Members of Parliament yesterday demanded action
against the education secretary for issuing a circular which said that
taking recommendations from Ministers and MPs for transfer of teachers was
a punishable offence.
Independent lawmaker M M Shahin, standing on a point of
order at the end of the day’s sitting, drew the attention of Speaker
Barrister Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar to the circular and demanded a ruling
on it.
"How audacious the education secretary was to issue a
circular declaring punishment against the teachers who would take
recommendations from the Ministers and MPs for their transfer," Shahin
said. The lawmakers irrespective of their political identities, including
Bangabir Kader Siddiqui, thumbed tables when Shahin was speaking. The AL
lawmakers were not present during the session.
"One of the duties of the MPs is to recommend for
different issues of public interest. So, how can the secretary issues a
such circular?" Shahin said.
The Speaker said it was an executive order, not a law.
He suggested the independent lawmaker to send a notice on the issue so
that the concerned minister could answer.
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WB suggests reintroduction of
upazila system
STAFF REPORTER,
The Independent
World Bank has suggested the government to reintroduce
the upazila system in the country with a view to strengthening the local
government administration. World Bank Country Representative Cristine
Wallich made the suggestion when she met the Finance and Planning Minister
M Saifur Rahman in latter’s Planning Ministry office yesterday.
To improve the deteriorating law and order situation,
Ms Wallich also expressed the Bank’s willingness to support any
initiatives taken by the government to reform the police administration
and the judicial system.
After the meeting, the Finance Minister told newsmen
that though the upazila system was one of the BNP’s election pledges, due
to some complications regarding the implementation process the system was
yet to be introduced. However, he said, the process of decentralisation
has already started through the introduction of the ‘Gram Sarkar’ in the
villages.
Ms Wallich told reporters that the WB was also keen to
assist the country in its future education and health projects.
She said their discussions mainly dealt with the
ongoing reform process and observed that the government had taken laudable
steps to continue the reform drive to alleviate poverty.
She felt that the country’s ports, telecommunications
and power sector also needed improvement to sustain in the competitive
world.
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Govt urged
Stop negative presentation of woman in
advertisements
STAFF REPORTER, The
Independent
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad yesterday said negative
presentation of women in advertisement lowers women’s status in the
society and felt the need of formulation of policy at government and
non-government levels to stop negative presentation of women in
advertisements.
Mahila Parishad held a roundtable on "Women in
Advertisement" at the Jatiya Press Club.
Mahila Parishad also felt there should be a policy to
ensure that women are not presented in negative image and unrealistic
advertisements which might create wrong impression in the children’s minds
are not made. It recommended formation of a monitoring cell to oversee
whether the advertisement makers were following the policy.
Mahila Parishad requested the advertisement makers not
to use objectionable words and pictures in the advertisement. It also
requested the persons involved in modelling- both male and female- to
refrain from participating in an advertisement which contain objectionable
scene or words. The Parishad requested the producers of consumer goods to
make product advertisement keeping gender perspective in mind.
Mahila Parishad criticised the TV advertisement of a
particular brand of spice marketed by a reputed company and said it
lowered the status of a housewife to that of a maid servant. It said the
airing of that advertisement should be stopped immediately. They also
mentioned some good advertisements.
Mahila Parishad president Hena Das presided. General
Secretary of the organisation Ayesha Khanam, advertisement maker and owner
of Expressions Ramendu Majumder, Managing Director of Unitrend Ltd
Moniruddin Ahmed Khan, owner of Ad King Imrul Chowdhury, Prof Geeti Ara
Nasreen, model Rasha Islam and Sadia Islam Mou, Fouzia Khandaker Eva,
Executive editor of Anannya Dil Monwara Monu participated in the
discussion.
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