Sunday Bangladesh News

Under-trial children still in jails on bailable charges Laws allow bail to children even in non-bailable cases Shahiduzzaman
Three hundred and forty-nine under-trial children keep languishing in jails in violation of laws and despite repeated High Court orders not to keep juveniles in prisons. At least 138 of them are facing bailable charges while the laws stipulate bail for the juvenile even in the case of non-bailable charges. According to a study done by Save the Children UK, 350 children were languishing in 57 jails of the country as of June 30 and only one of them was convicted. Various laws, even the Special Powers Act 1974, are being used in putting children behind bars although children in conflict with the law should be dealt with only under the Children Act 1974. Although an order was issued on August 7, 2006 from the police headquarters, at the instruction of the national task force on juvenile justice, asking police officials not to arrest any juveniles under the Special Power Act 1974, at least 82 children — 77 boys and 5 girls — were arrested under the law between January 1 and May 31 flouting the order, said sources in the task force. Section 48 of the Children Act 1974 stipulates, ‘Where a person apparently under the age of sixteen years is arrested on a charge of a non-bailable offence and cannot be brought forthwith before a court, the officer-in-charge of the police station may release him on bail.’ The juvenile accused also deserve bail in cases on non-bailable charges even under the criminal justice system. Section 497(1) says, ‘Provided that the court may direct that any person under the age of sixteen years… accused of such an offence [non-bailable] be released on bail.’ According to Section 49(2) of the Children Act, a court, on remanding for trial a child who is not released on bail, will order him to be detained in a remand home or a place of safety. A High Court bench of Justice Amirul Kabir Chowdhury and Justice Nijamul Haque Nasim delivered a verdict on April 9, 2003 detailing a seven-point directive for the government in this regard. No juvenile accused should be kept in jail and child inmates should be transferred to correction homes and other designated shelters from jails with utmost expedition, the court said. The directives are yet to be implemented in their entirety, according to information available with the national task force on juvenile justice. The task force has representation of 27 government and non-governmental agencies. As prisons witnessed a gradual increase in the number of juvenile inmates, the High Court on March 4, 2007 issued a fresh rule on the government suo moto to explain why necessary action would not be taken against it for keeping children in jails in violation of the High Court verdict delivered on April 9, 2003. According to sources in the task force, the number of children in jails increased by 42 in a month after the High Court had issued a fresh order on March 4, 2007. In 2007, at least 1,712 children, including 187 girls, were sent to jail. Against this backdrop, the High Court bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Farid Ahmed on July 24, 2007 ordered the government to transfer the children languishing in jails to juvenile development centres immediately. The authorities, however, flouting all the laws and despite High Court directives, continue keeping even under-trial children in jails while three government-run juvenile development centres, with the accommodation capacity of 700, remain practically deserted with only 316 inmates.
AL yet to settle issues for three mayoral posts Candidature dispute over six municipal mayor’s posts Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
The Awami League is still in a dilemma over the selection of mayoral candidates in the three of the four city corporation polls with the deadline for the withdrawal of nomination papers expiring today. The divisional chapters of the Nagarik Committee and local Awami League leaders in Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet are disappointed at the nominations made by the alliance led by the Awami League. Local party units are also faced with trouble over the selection of candidates for mayoral posts in the elections to six out of the nine municipalities. The Election Commission on June 20 announced the schedule for the elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities, scheduled for August 4. The four city corporations going to polls are Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Khulna and the nine municipalities are Naohata in Rajshahi, Dupchanchia in Bogra, Sreepur in Gazipur, Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Golapganj in Sylhet, Sitakunda in Chittagong, and Chuadanga, Manikganj and Shariatpur district headquarters. The high up in the Awami League-led combine is still in trouble despite the announcement of mayoral nominations for elections to four city corporations on Thursday. The combine, however, announced local units would nominate candidates for the nine municipal elections and it would not interfere with the matter. The alliance nominated city Awami League president Talukdar Abdul Khaleque for the Khulna mayoral post, city Awami League convener Shawkat Hossain Hiron for the Barisal mayoral post, district unit president Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, now in jail, for the Sylhet mayoral post and Workers Party politburo member Fazley Hossain Badsha for the Rajshahi mayoral post. Although the alliance nominated Badsha, central Awami League leader Khairuzzaman Liton vowed not to withdraw his nomination for the Rajshahi mayoral post as the party’s central working committee on July 1 fielded him as the mayoral candidate. The Nagarik Committee and local party leaders in Rajshahi threatened not to work for Badsha if the alliance would not withdraw his nomination by today. They on Friday gave the central leadership two days to revoke the decision on Badsha’s nomination. All the Awami League-led combine partners except for the Workers Party on Saturday extended their support for Khairuzzaman as the Rajshahi mayoral post. The alliance leaders and activists in Barisal were not satisfied at the nomination of Shawkat Hossain as the mayoral candidate. Local Awami League and Nagarik Committee leaders want the Barisal chapter Nagarik Committee president, Enayet Pir Khan, as the mayoral candidate. They vowed to work in favour of Enayet Pir and urged the central leadership to reconsider the alliance nomination. Local Awami League leaders in Sylhet were also in a dilemma over the mayoral candidate selection. There are at least three aspirants of the party for the mayoral post. Former Sylhet municipal chairman Babrul Hossain Babul and former Awami League lawmaker Inamul Haque Bir Pratik vowed not to opt out of the electoral race. Awami League presidium member Matia Chowdhury told New Age the party was sympathetic to Khairuzzman Liton as he is member on the party’s central working committee, but said he should agree the party decision. ‘Our prime objective is to keep the alliance united and we need to sacrifice something in the greater interest of the alliance… I think Khairuzzaman will understand the reality and change his mind,’ she said. Matia said as local government elections were non-party, the central leaders would not join the campaign for the city corporation polls. The Workers Party general secretary, Bimal Biswas, hoped Khairuzzaman would accept the alliance decision and withdraw his nomination. ‘If he does not accept the decision and does not withdraw his nomination, it will threaten the alliance unity.’ A presidium meeting scheduled for this morning may make a decision in this regard. As for elections to nine municipalities, local leaders could unanimously nominate candidates only for three municipalities — Dupchanchia, Shariatpur and Sitakunda. Three party leaders — Anisur Rahman, Sheikh Nazrul Islam and Ahsanullah — are contesting for the mayoral post of the Sreepur municipality. They are all unwilling to withdraw nomination papers. Three party leaders — Zakaria Ahmed Paplu, Sirajul Jabbar and Aminul Islam Rubel — are also contesting for the mayoral posts of the Golapganj municipality and all of them vowed to contest the polls. There are also three party leaders contesting for the mayoral post of the Fulbaria municipality. The aspirants are Nurul Islam, Golam Kibria and Yunus Ali. Three Awami League leaders have submitted nomination papers for the mayoral post of the Naohata municipality. The aspirants, all still in the race, are Abdul Gafur, Abdul Bari Khan and Bhuban Saha. Two party leaders are in race for the mayoral post of the Chuadanga municipality. They are Reyajul Islam Toton and Eakramul Huq Mukta. Party leaders Sudeb Saha and Ramjan Ali, now in jail, are contesting for the mayoral post of the Manikganj municipality. Grassroots leaders unanimously selected Abdur Rab Munshi for the mayoral post of the Shariatpur municipality, Ahamedur Rahman Biplob for Dupchanchia and Safiul Alam for Sitakunda.
AL but WP extend support for Khairuzzaman in Rajshahi Our Correspondent . Rajshahi
All the components except for the Workers Party of the combine led by the Awami League have extended support for AHM Khairuzzaman Liton as the alliance candidate for the Rajshahi mayoral post. The component leaders at a briefing at the Nagarik Committee office on Saturday also urged to the city dwellers to work on behalf of Khairuzzaman in view of the elections. They said the central leadership of the combine had nominated Workers Party leader Fazley Hossain Badsha. But the leadership had not elicited the opinion of Rajshahi leaders, they said. ‘We will put in all our efforts to work for Liton in the city corporation polls,’ according to the statement read out at the briefing. They also urged the central leadership of the combine led by the Awami League to reconsider the combine nomination for the mayoral post. The Rajshahi city Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal general secretary, Abdullah Al Masud Shibli, read out the statement on behalf of the combine partners holding the briefing. The acting city Awami League general secretary, Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, city unit vice-president Rafique Uddin, district Awami League general secretary Omar Faruk Chowdhury, city unit Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Pradeep Mridha, language movement hero Mosharraf Hossain Akhunji, also the city unit National Awami Party president, city Gana Forum president Rafiqul Hasan and city Ganatantri Party president Masud Rana attended the briefing. Language movement hero Abul Hossain, also the convener of the Rajshahi chapter of the Nagarik Committee and member secretary Sayed Shafiqul Alam, former city Awami League president Mahbub Zaman Bhulu and other Nagarik Committee members attended. The Rajshahi chapters of the Chemists and Druggists’ Association and the Muslim Matsyajibi Samaj have extended their support for Liton. At a meeting at the Nagarik Committee office Friday night, they said they would work for Liton in the city corporation polls.
Deadline for nomination withdrawal expires today Staff Correspondent
The deadline for the withdrawal of nomination papers for the August 4 elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities expires today. The returning officers will announce the final list of the contesting candidates and distribute polls symbols soon after the end of the deadline. Candidates are preparing for formal electioneering from tomorrow, the day the government will ease the state of emergency to allow full-fledged electoral campaigns. The interim government announced to ease the ban on rallies and processions for electioneering for 21 days beginning from tomorrow in areas where polls will take place. The home ministry, in the gazette notification, said campaigns, processions, rallies and meetings could be organised and people could join them within the purview of the Local Government (City Corporation) Ordinance 2008 and the Local Government (Municipality) Ordinance 2008. The Election Commission on June 20 announced the polls schedule. The four city corporations going to polls are Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Khulna. The nine municipalities are Naohata in Rajshahi, Dupchanchia in Bogra, Sreepur in Gazipur, Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Golapganj in Sylhet, Sitakunda in Chittagong, and Chuadanga, Manikganj and Shariatpur district headquarters.
Govt to talk gas rationing with industries, power officials Staff Correspondent
The chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, on Saturday directed energy officials to discuss with the businesspeople and power officials the issue of gas rationing for industries and closing down energy-inefficient power units to divert gas to efficient units. Fakhruddin gave the directives at a meeting with the energy officials, led by the chief adviser’s special assistant for power and energy ministry M Tamim, on the present gas supply situation at the Chief Adviser’s Office. The energy officials made a presentation on the gas supply situation and possible gas rationing for fertiliser and power plants and industries as Petrobangla is facing a shortage of 200 million cubic feet of gas a day. The energy officials floated an idea that gas supply to industries could be staggered — each of the industries in an area will not consume gas for one day a week and get proper supply for six other days of the week, said sources attending the meeting. Fakhruddin asked the officials to work out how much gas each industrial area consumes and how much the businesspeople would benefit from the plan before they are consulted on gas rationing issue. ‘We do not know area-wise gas consumption rate. We have to work it out. We will then sit with businesspeople on the issue. I think it is better to get gas at 90 per cent pressure for six days than at 60 per cent pressure for seven days,’ said a source present at the meeting. ‘If industries in one area do not take gas for a certain day in a week, other areas will get proper pressure. Industries in all the areas can stop taking gas for a day by rotation,’ he said, adding the government will not make any unilateral decision without the consent of the businesspeople. The energy officials also suggested closing down nine energy-inefficient power plant units to divert gas to efficient power plants. They observed if two small units each at Haripur, Ghorashal, Ashuganj and Shahjibazar and a unit at the Shikalbaha power plant could be closed and gas could be diverted to other big units at Ghorashal, Ashuganj, Siddhirganj and Mymensingh plants, around 100MW more electricity could be generated. Fakhruddin asked the energy officials to implement the suggestion after discussing the matter with power officials. He directed not to ration gas for fertiliser plants after energy officials had suggested the Fenchuganj and Palash fertiliser plants, which are energy-inefficient, could be shut down to supply gas to the Ghorashal fertiliser plant. The fertiliser plants consume almost double the amount of gas they should to produce around 2 lakh tonnes of urea a year. The Ghorashal fertiliser plant is now out of operation for maintenance and is expected to start production in October. Fakhruddin observed fertiliser production should not be allowed to be hampered because of the agriculture sector. Fakhruddin asked the energy officials to find out ways to increase gas production from the existing gas fields. Huge gas supply shortage has put sectors such as power and industries in trouble, hampering electricity generation and industrial expansion. Petrobangla now supplies around 1,770mmcfd of gas against the demand for about 2,000mmcfd.
Govt leases out five state-owned jute mills Staff Correspondent
The government has leased out five state-owned jute mills in the Khulna and Chittagong regions to private companies aiming to revitalise its activities. Of the mills, Nature Back Company and Sad Musa Fabric Company got two each in Chittagong while Kazi Farm another in Khulna. ‘We are taking special measures to revitalise the jute mills by leasing them out to private sector. We hope that the move will help boost the production at sick industry,’ jute adviser Anwarul Iqbal said at a press conference at the ministry on Saturday. He also said they would hand over People’s Jute Mills to Kazi Farm on July 15 when the next cabinet meeting would be held in Khulna. Jute secretary Abdur Rashid Sarkar and Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation chairman Ataharul Islam also spoke at the press conference. According to the government decision, RR Jute Mills Ltd in Chittagong has been leased to Nature Back Company, People’s Jute Mills in Khulna to Kazi Farm, Karnaphuli Jute Mills at Rangunia in Chittagong to Sad Musa Fabric and Forat-Karnaphuli Carpet Factory in Chittagong to Sad Musa Fabric and MM Jute Mills in Chittagong to Nature Back Company. The jute adviser said the government was helping the jute growers with loans under a programme. ‘Without necessary jute, the mills will not operate smoothly.’ Some 6,329 workers and officials would be in their new employment and the leased-out five mills would produce 33,780 metric tonnes of jute products per year, the adviser said. He said earlier the jute and textiles ministry repaid bank loans by taking money from the finance ministry. Now the jute ministry would repay the finance ministry, he said, adding that the jute and textiles ministry would get more than Tk 12.50 crore per year from these leased-out jute mills. In reply to a question, Anwarul said the government and BJMC would closely monitor the five jute mills so that the leaseholders couldn’t take any unwanted advantage from that leasing. Ataharul said BJMC would set up offices in every leased–out jute mills for close monitoring. A target to produce two lakh tonnes of jute products had been set for this fiscal year, he added. Rashid said, ‘Without diversifying the jute products, the country’s jute industry will not survive.’ BJMC is currently running 14 jute mills. The process to lease out one of the mills — Alim Jute Mills in Khulna — remains suspended due to a case pending with the court. The highest bidders for MM Jute Mills in Chittagong and Qaomi Jute Mills in Sirajganj have not yet deposited security money with the BJMC.
Launch workers withdraw strike Staff Correspondent
The launch workers on Saturday afternoon, after a series of negotiations between the government, workers and inland watercraft owners, withdrew their countrywide strike enforced on Thursday midnight to underscore their demand for salary hike. The riverine workers enforced a countrywide strike demanding higher pay since Thursday midnight, leaving all kinds of launches, steamers and cargo vessels inoperative, and thousands of passengers and goods stranded. The workers joined work at around 3:30pm and water transport movement on all major routes, including the coastal districts of Chandpur, Barisal, Bhola and Patuakhali, resumed at around 4:00pm from the Sadarghat Launch Terminal. According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), the workers went on strike as the Bangladesh Water Transport Workers Federation (BWTWF) called upon them on Thursday to stop working from midnight to press home their demand for higher salaries and more facilities. The workers’ leaders said the recent hike in prices of essential commodities has forced them to go on strike. They have been barely surviving on monthly salaries as meagre as Tk 1,900 per month. A high official of the BIWTA told New Age, ‘We have managed to settle the matter at the last meeting between the government, workers and inland water transport owners, after we ended two meetings without any decision.’ Abdul Mannan Hawlader, chairman of the BIWTA, told New Age, ‘We have to admit that the demand of the workers’ is justified as unabated price hike of essential commodities has made life miserable for them and their families, forcing them to enforce the strike.’ ‘After a fruitful tripartite discussion between the government, workers and inland watercraft owners in the presence of Mahfuzul Haque, secretary of the labour ministry, the workers’ leaders decided to withdraw their countrywide strike,’ Hawlader added. Abdur Razzaq, president of BLLA, told New Age, ‘We have agreed to the proposal of the government and the watercraft owners as they have assured us that out wages will be increased and another committee has declared that we will get interim period salary from July to December.’ ‘We demanded increase of salary to Tk 3,000 from the miserable amount of Tk 1,900 that we get now, and the owners and the government should meet our demand as more than 1.25 lakh workers are engaged in this profession,’ Razzaq added. Thousands of stranded passengers started to board launches and head for their destinations soon after the strike was withdrawn, and those who had earlier returned home after failing to board any launch rushed to the Sadarghat Launch Terminal just after the strike was ended. Acting chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport (Passenger Carriers) Agency, Badiuzzaman Badal, told New Age, ‘Because of the sufferings of about 10 lakh people who have to travel everyday by launches and other watercraft, the workers decided to withdraw their strike from Saturday afternoon.’ Our Barisal correspondent reports that passenger launches plying 78 local, inner and inter-district routes of Barisal division resumed operation after 3:00pm Saturday afternoon. Ekin Ali, secretary of the District Launch Workers Union, said that they rejoined work in response to the directive of their association. Meanwhile, a press release of the BIWTA revealed that Mahfuzul Haque, secretary of the labour ministry, and BIWTA president Abdul Mannan Hawlader had assured the launch workers that government had formed a committee to increase their salaries and wages. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three months, and the new wages will come into effect from January 1, 2009. Before implementation of the decision to increase wages, another committee headed by the joint secretary of the labour ministry was formed to pay salary in the interim period to the workers, which will come into effect from July 1 to December. The committee was asked to submit its report by 15 days.