Govt
asked why Rab not be run as per law
The
High Court (HC) in a rule asked the government to explain in four weeks
why it should not be directed to operate elite anticrime force Rapid
Action Battalion (Rab) within the bounds of the law. The HC Division
Bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Muminur Rahman and Justice Mainul Islam
Chowdhury issued the rule in the wake of a public interest litigation
filed in the High Court on October 25 that challenged the constitution
of Rab and sought an injunction against its operations.
Law,
home and Cabinet Division secretaries and the additional inspector general
of police, who is in charge of Rab, have been asked to reply to the
court rule. Senior Supreme Court lawyers Raziur Rahman Chowdhury and
Sheikh Golam Hafiz filed the petition that termed the law leading to
the formation of the crime-busting force contradictory to the constitution.
Over 50 people have so far been killed in Rab custody and 'crossfire'.
The Daily Star, November
29.
HR
workers against indemnity to law enforcers
Local and international rights activists called for nullifying
the impunity provision from the constitution as they found it a fundamental
obstacle to the promotion and implementation of human rights of the
citizens. The promulgation of laws to indemnify the law enforcers and
other persons is "denial of fundamental rights and broadening path
of discrimination, torture and inhuman treatment" which thereby
encourages and facilitates many other forms of impunity, they observed
at a national conference on human rights. The provision is also contradictory
to many provisions of international human rights instruments and part
III of the Bangladesh constitution comprising Articles 26 to 47A that
define and protect fundamental rights of the citizens, the conference
was told.
Their
observations came from the concluding session of the two-day national
conference on "Institutional Protection of Human Rights: Role of
Civil Society, NGOs and Media" at the IDB Bhaban in the capital.
UNB, November 30.
Parliament
passes bill on women reserved seats
The Jatiya Sangsad passed a bill for election to the 45 reserved
seats for women in parliament on the basis of proportional representation
of parties or alliances amid strong protest and a noisy walkout by the
main opposition Awami League (AL) lawmakers.
The AL legislators
and a lawmaker of Jatiya Party ( JP-Ershad) termed election to the reserved
seats based on proportional representation as unconstitutional and a
disgrace to the women community. Moudud introduced the Jatiya Sangsad
(Reserved Women Seats) Election Bill, 2004, outlining a complex procedure
of election to the reserved seats in accordance with proportional representation
of a party or alliance in the House.
As
per the new bill, there will be no constituency for the women's reserve
seats. After the election to 300 general seats, the election to women's
seats will take place, and the parties represented in parliament will
nominate women members proportionately. -Daily
Ittefaq, November 30.
Bureaucrats
face contempt proceedings
The Supreme Court (SC) asked nine government officials why contempt
proceedings should not be drawn against them for distorting the decisions
of the court on separation of the judiciary. A full court of the Appellate
Division headed by Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain also directed
the officials to appear in person before court at 9:00am on December
11 to explain their position.
The order came after
the attorney general, as asked by the court, explained why repeated
time extensions were sought to implement a 12- point directive given
by the court for separation of the judiciary way back in December 1999.
The
court also questioned how the bureaucrats dared to disagree with the
final drafts of the rules when these were awaiting final approval by
the president. - Prothom Alo,
November 30
Moudud
rejects HR violation allegation
Law Minister Moudud Ahmed brushed aside the allegation of human rights
violation by the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), saying members of the
elite force have 'right to defence' when under attack from gunmen. The
Rab actions in recent times have nothing to do with the human rights
issue, he maintained while taking questions from reporters at a routine
press briefing at his office.
Some 60 people have
so far been killed in 'crossfire' during Rab operations across the country
in the last six months. Human-rights bodies have protested the deaths
in Rab custody, although the police said most of the victims were wanted
criminals.
On
formation of the much-talked-about Human Rights Commission, the minister
said a relevant law is waiting for cabinet clearance. He observed that
mere formation of a commission will not help much to protect human rights
unless other complimentary measures like prison reforms and amendments
to the existing laws are carried out. - The
Daily Star, December 1
Births,
deaths must be recorded
Parliament passed a bill making registration of birth and death of Bangladeshi
citizens mandatory. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives
Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan piloted the "Birth and Death Registration
Bill 2004" which was passed by voice vote rejecting the opposition's
amendments.
With the passage
of the bill, the Birth and Death Registration Act of 1873 was repealed
totally, while the Birth, Death and Marriage Registration Act of 1886
partially.
Under
the provision of the bill, birth certificates will have to be shown
for passport, marriage registration and admission to an educational
institution. Such certificates will also be needed for jobs in government,
private or autonomous bodies, driving licenses, enrolment of names in
the voter list and land registration. - UNB,
Dhaka, December 1
SC
lawyers decry extra- judicial killings
The pro-opposition lawyers of the Supreme Court lambasted what they
said were extra-judicial killings in Rab (Rapid Action Battalion) 'crossfire'
in recent times. They formed a human chain on the court premises under
the banner of Sammilito Ainjibi Samannoy Parishad also to protest what
they termed the government's procrastination in separating the judiciary
from the executive and politicisation of the judiciary.
According
to existing laws and the constitution, the extra-judicial killings in
Rab 'crossfire' are culpable and tantamount to "a contempt of humanity,"
said former law minister Abdul Motin Khosru addressing the gathering.
He demanded judicial probes into all the deaths in 'crossfire' while
in Rab or police custody. - The
Prothom Alo, December 2
Freedom
fighters for ban on fatwa
Freedom fighters (FFs) at a rally in the capital yesterday demanded
observance of 'Muktijoddha Dibas' (freedom fighters' day) at state level
on December 1 every year in recognition of the FF's contribution to
liberating the country.
Addressing
the rally, the FFs demanded trial of war criminals, ban on communalism
and fatwa, an end to repression on religious and ethnic minorities and
reinstatement of four fundamental principles of the constitution of
'72. - Prothom Alo, December
2
