INDIA-SRILANKA-MALDIVES

Amar Desh actg editor faces fresh charge

News Round Up

Dhaka: The Supreme Court (SC) asked the petitioners, who on Monday filed another contempt of court petition against detained acting editor of the daily Amar Desh Mahmudur Rahman for writing a commentary report, to file a fresh petition by Tuesday.

The allegation of committing the contempt of court was brought against Mahmudur on Monday for publishing the commentary with the headline "swadhin bicharer name tamasa" meaning "farce in the name of independent judiciary".

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim gave the order after the jail authorities again produced Mahmudur before the SC in the morning as per its earlier directive.

The court fixed August 17 for further hearing on the petition. The court also asked the authorities to further produce Mahmudur before it on Tuesday.

The charge was brought during the hearing of the pending contempt of court petition filed earlier by the same petitioners– SC lawyers Riaz Uddin Khan and Mynul Hassan.

The petitioners submitted the petition to the SC stating that Mahmudur had committed a contempt of court by publishing the commentary report on May 10 this year in his newspaper.

Earlier, the same petitioners jointly filed the petition on May 2 for publishing a report in his daily with the headline “Chamber manei sarkar pakkhe stay” meaning “Chamber bench means stay order in favour of the government” on April 21. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=25336

 

2. Khulna-Jessore highway blocked over killing of BNP man

Local people put barricade on the Khulna-Jessore Highway since Monday morning following the killing of a local BNP leader in Fultala upazila of Khulna.

Hundreds of vehicles remain stranded on the both sides of the highway, prompting human sufferings.

Witnesses said two armed assailants waylaid Abu Sayeed Badal, 42, the organising secretary of Fultala upazila BNP unit and also the chairman of Domodar Union Parishad, around 10:30am and sprayed bullets on him when he was going to his upazila parishad office.

Badal sustained bullet injuries to his head, chest and back, reports our Khulna correspondent.

Officials rushed him to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) where the doctors declared him dead at about 11:15am. www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=25340

 

3. 5th Amendment Verdict: BNP’s review body divided

Dhaka: The BNP committee formed to review the court judgment on the fifth amendment apparently stand divided over the party’s official statement on the verdict.

BNP leaders and lawmakers, who are legal practitioners, remain split over the statement as some want to question the judiciary’s jurisdiction over parliamentary affairs while others are unwilling to say anything against the judiciary, said party insiders.

The lawmakers serving as counsels want to focus only on the part of the verdict dealing with political and religious matters. They fear the court might get annoyed if too many questions are raised about the judiciary’s role.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in February upheld the High Court ruling of 2005 that had declared the fifth amendment to the constitution illegal.

The apex court released full text of its judgment on July 27.

A top BNP leader at a meeting told the chairperson that the party statement should not contain anything against the judiciary or the verdict on the fifth amendment, said the sources.

"We have a lot of issues in the court and that is why we should not make it annoyed," he told the BNP chief Khaleda Zia, hinting at the cases regarding her cantonment house and two sons.

A number of BNP lawmakers however opposed the idea, saying the party should ask questions whether the judiciary can interfere in parliamentary affairs.

BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury said there should be a check and balance between the executive, judiciary and parliament, otherwise extra-constitutional forces might get a chance to threaten democracy. The party should focus on it.

"We all know what the role of judges after 1/11 was. But the thinking of lawyers would be different as they have to deal with judges because of their profession," he said.

Committee member Rafiqul Islam Mia said the scope for talking about the court judgement or the judiciary is limited.

"We have to think what the government will do about several issues like Bismillah and the state religion," said Rafiqul, also member of the standing committee.

He said people have a lot of questions about the judgement on the fifth amendment.

A few days after the SC released full text of its judgment, Khaleda held a meeting with senior leaders including Moudud Ahmed, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, and Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, president of Supreme Court Bar Association, to discuss the issue.

She formed a committee with Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Rafiqul Islam Mia, Jamiruddin Sircar, MK Anwar, TH Khan and Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

They sat thrice and prepared a draft statement that would be released soon. The chairperson and the secretary general are now checking the statement, the sources said. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=150933

 

4. Plan to build 3rd seaport at Kuakata

The government has started the groundwork for the country’s third seaport at Kuakata aiming to improve the economic condition of the people in the region as well as to facilitate India, Nepal and Bhutan to transit goods.

A high-powered technical committee, headed by Captain S Arif Mahmood, member (marine and harbour), Chittagong port authority, visited Kuakata last month and primarily recommended the site for a port.

"The site is feasible as we observed from the surface,” Mahmood said. “We suggested that the government carry out a techno-economic feasibility study before going ahead with the construction."

A seaport in Kuakata will make movement of goods more convenient than through the ports at Chittagong and Mongla, since it is positioned at the centre of the coast, the minister earlier said.

Chittagong port is the country’s prime seaport that handles about 90 per cent maritime export-import trade with an average 10 per cent yearly growth. The Mongla port, the second largest seaport, handles the rest 10 per cent of the trade.

Under the transit agreements with India and Nepal, Bangladesh expects some five lakh containers a year from these two countries and possibly from Bhutan. Once in operation, the port will handle nearly half of these containers.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=150930

 

5. Mongla port to be upgraded to international standard

Bagerhat:  Country’s second largest seaport Mongla will be upgraded to international standard soon.

The government took the initiative aiming at boosting country’s economic growth, particularly in south-western region.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has already been signed between the port authorities and David Wignal Associate, a Singapore-based private company, in this connection.

Sources said Tk 21,000 crore would be spent for the upgradation work.

Mongla port authority chairman Commodore M Faruk told the new agency that the Singaporean private company is now carrying out feasibility study on how to carry out the development work properly.

The project includes construction of international standard jetty, a power generation plant and a water treatment plant, industrial park, container terminal, establishing cable car with Sundarbans, channel preservation, ensuring navigability through dredging, port expansion and ensuring utilisation of port through transit trade with India, China, Nepal ad Bhutan.

As per agreement, all development work are scheduled to be completed by 2030.

The port was at first established at Chalna in 1950 and later shifted to Mongla, 50km off the district town, on the bank of Passur River after four years. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=150959

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