The New Nation - Internet Edition

Truth Commission Law approved: Former CJ to head three-member body for a five-month term; All except convicted ones can seek redress

Staff Reporter

The Council of Advisers of the Caretaker Government yesterday approved a law titled Voluntary Disclosure Ordinance 2008 for constituting the much talked about Truth and Accountability Commission.

A former chief justice will head the three-member Truth and Accountability Commission and its term will be five months initially, according to the ordinance.

The Commission will start hearing an appeal within 14 days of its submission and deliver a verdict within 30 days. Anybody, excepting those who have already been convicted of graft, can admit his/her offence before the Commission.

The Commission will have the jurisdiction to confiscate property of the guilty, but the property donated to organisations or institutions such as schools, hospitals, mosques and temples will not be confiscated.

The money deposited by anybody voluntarily to the state coffers before the proclamation of the ordinance would be taken into account in line with the ordinance.

The persons who will admit their offence and give money to the Government qualify for leniency and do not have any obstacle in contesting the polls.

But the persons convicted by the Truth Commission would not be able to contest any polls for five years.

The term of the Commission will be five months initially, the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim told reporters after a cabinet meeting in the CA's office.

The Commission, headquartered in Dhaka, will have offices of sub-commission in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Bogra. The sub-commissions will hear appeals and send reports to the headquarters for verdicts.

Of the 222 people on the Anticorruption Commission's graft list, those who have not convicted yet will be able to apply to the Commission.

The Government had earlier formed a four-member committee to make a draft on the proposed commission. The committee had designed the structure and legal affairs of the Commission. A high-powered committee led by the Chief Adviser had earlier scrutinised the ordinance.

MM Ruhul Amin new Chief Justice

MM Ruhul Amin

Staff Reporter

Senior Appellate Division Judge of the Supreme Court MM Ruhul Amin has been appointed the 16th Chief Justice of Bangladesh effective from June 1.

President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed, who appointed him yesterday, is expected to administer the oath of office to the new Chief Justice on June 1 at 10:30am, Bangabhaban sources said.

MM Ruhul Amin, the second most senior judge of the Appellate Division, will hold the office of the Chief Justice till December 23 in 2009. The outgoing Chief Justice will go on retirement on May 31.

The newly appointed Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin was born in Laxmipur on December 23, 1942.

He obtained his Master's degree in History in 1963 and LLB degree in 1966 from Dhaka University. In 1967, he started his career as Assistant Judge in the then East Pakistan.

He was promoted to the rank of a District Judge in 1984. Before being appointed High Court judge on February 10, 1994, he served in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Kishoreganj and Jessore as District Judge.

MM Ruhul Amin was appointed judge of the Appellate Division on July 13, 2003.

He has been serving as the Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission since 2004.

The newly Chief Justice underwent training in "Case Management" at the National Judicial College, US in 1990 and visited several US courts to observe alternative dispute resolution and court administration.

He also visited Sri Lanka, India and Nepal to see for himself the judicial services and salary structure of judges in these countries.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Barrister Shafique Ahmed told reporters that seniority has again been ignored by this appointment and the Association always dislikes supersession.

He said the association would not host a reception for the newly appointed Chief Justice since a decision in this regard was taken earlier.

Former Army chief Mustafiz under arrest in city hospital

General Mustafizur Rahman

Staff Reporter

Former army chief General Mustafizur Rahman was arrested yesterday now under care of Apollo Hospital in the city by the law enforcer on charges of his involvement in the MiG-29 scam.

The officer in Charge of Badda Syed Mominul Ahsan said, the former army chief has been shown arrested in the case.

On May 20 a special court in Dhaka issued arrest warrant against ailing former army chief General Mustafizur Rahman, a co-accused in the MiG-29 case, after cancelling his bail.

Dhaka divisional judge Golam Mortuza Mojumder also deferred the case proceedings to May 28 as General Mustafiz could not attend the court for illness when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and six other accused were present.

Doctors have suggested a complete bed rest to General Mustafiz who has been suffering from so many complications in his 70s. He is not able to walk or talk normally. He is a diabetic patient and about 30 percent of his heart does not work. He was under treatment in the Apollo

However, the Court had earlier deferred proceedings for the same reason on May 11, in the case involving the purchase of eight MiG-29 war planes during Sheikh Hasina's term as prime minister.

The now defunct Bureau of Anticorruption filed the case on Dec 11, 2001, with Tejgaon Police Station against seven accused including Hasina alleging misconduct in the purchase of the war planes.

The case details said the government had incurred losses to the tune of Tk 700 crore due to the contentious purchase in 1999.

Hasina made an appeal to the High Court in 2003 to cancel the case, which was rejected.

Newspapers, TV channels in a pitiable state

Hasanuzzaman Khan

The newspaper industry in the country has fallen into a severe crisis following an unprecedented rise in newsprint price, both local and foreign brands. Even under zero tariff facility imported newsprint costs Tk 66,000 per ton. The price will go up to Tk 84,000 per ton in coming December if the present trend continues. Last year newsprint was priced at Tk 51,000 per ton in the international market.

A number of newspapers had to cut on circulation to cope with the increasing cost of production.

Leaders of the BSP and the NOAB representing the newspaper owners met the Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on April 12 urging him to waive 15 per cent VAT imposed on imported newsprint.

It is almost a ritual on the part of the Chief Adviser's Office to send the proposal to the Finance Ministry for necessary action. But the proposal has not seen the light of the day. No follow-up action has been taken. Newsprint price continues to be skyrocketting forcing the closure of a number of newspapers.

In the domestic market low quality local newsprint prices have been increased unilaterally. Now local newsprint is being sold at Tk 58,000 per ton as against Tk 48,000 per ton in last March. The local newsprint price is Tk 7,000 more per ton than that of the imported ones.

The Newspapers Owners Association (NOAB) and the Bangladesh Sangbadpatra Parishad (BSP) in a statement condemned the unilateral increase in the newsprint price saying it is completely detrimental to the interest of the newspaper industry.

The newspaper owners association said, per ton price of local newsprint (Capital and Bashundhara) was raised by Tk 10,000 at one go putting the existence of the newspaper industry at stake.

On the other hand, the flow of private advertisements to newspapers has fallen abnormally following the economic recession in the business sector after 1/11.

The real estate sector, which earlier contributed maximum advertisements to newspapers, is in doldrums after 1/11. The mobile phone companies appear to be the only private sources to generate some advertisements for the newspapers and the private TV channels.

About 200 newspapers including dailies and weeklies have been closed down in the last one year.

The rate of Government advertisement is abnormally low. Government advertisement is distributed locally by the respective departments as per their rules. Earlier, it used to be centrally distributed by the DFP Dhaka office.

The payment was also made centrally. Now the newspapers have to suffer immensely to collect advertisement and their bills from far-flung areas of the country.

The NOAB and the BSP have demanded the enhancement of Government advertisement rate to Tk 832 per column inch.

The overall condition of print and electronic media is weak. The ownership in a number of newspapers and TV channels has changed. The editors of the Jay Jay Din, Jugantor and Amardesh have been changed. The ownership of two vernacular dailies and one English newspaper has been changed.

The electronic media has been hard hit by the on-going recession. An owner of private TV channel said, they failed to produce new programmes. They have to telecast old ones in new forms. They have to retrench many experienced employees as they run short of fund.

Private programme producers have crores of Taka in arrears with the electronic media owners. The package programme producers have formed an alliance to realise their outstanding dues, which have run into crores of Taka.

Three private channels have been closed in the last one year and five hundred employees have been rendered jobless.

US envoy optimistic of polls by Dec

US Ambassador James F Moriarty visited Chittagong
Port yesterday on the occasion of the arrival of Liberty
Eagle Food Aid that transported 45,700 tonnes of wheat for
Sidr victims. FocusBangla

Chittagong Correspondent

The United States envoy in Dhaka James F Moriarty said here yesterday that the caretaker government would do everything possible for holding free and fair polls by December this year.

He hoped that there would be no deviation of the election roadmap announced by the election commission.

The envoy was addressing the media workers after overseeing discharge of a large consignment of 46000 metric tones of wheat for the SIDR affected people at Chittagong port yesterday morning.

Pledging non-stop support to Bangladesh for fighting terrorism and corruption the US envoy said unabated corruption and terrorism had destabilized country's economy and growth.

Terming the US aids to Bangladesh as the symbol of stronger friendship between the countries Moriarty said that the total US aids to this nation had been over five billion dollars.

He observed that food insecurity might prompt criminal offences in the society. He suggested working hard on achieving minimum food security net. "My government has already doubled food supply to Bangladesh in the wake of its rising demand," Moriarty said.

Dhaka Mission Director of the US Assistance for International Development (USAID) Denise Rollins and Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Commodore M Faruq accompanied the envoy.

Dialogue with govt: JSD (Inu) proposes national govt

Staff Reporter

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD (Inu) yesterday proposed for formation of a national government at least for three to five years after the elections for the sake of ensuring sustainable democracy and development in the country.

The 7-member JSD delegation led by its president Hasanul Haque Inu placed the proposal during the dialogue with the Government held at Chief Adviser's Office in the city.

The JSD suggested the Government to ensure participation of all democratic parties in the dialogue to make it successful.

"If necessary, the Government should take administrative measures to ensure presence of Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina in the dialogue," he said adding that measures should also be taken to ensure the AL's General Secretary Abdul Jalil at the meeting.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed led the government side while he was aided by Adviser for Law AF Hasan Ariff, Adviser for Communications Maj Gen (Retd) Ghulam Quader, Adviser for Education and Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur, Adviser for Foreign Affairs Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Adviser for LGRD M Anwarul Iqbal.

Briefing journalists, Hasanul Haque Inu said they asked the government to declare the specific date for lifting the state of emergency, ensure general elections by December with the participation of all parties and removal of all restrictions on political and trade union activities.

He said they emphasised the need for creating a pre-election consensus among the political parties through discussion so that elected government cannot be autocratic.

Inu said they suggested the Caretaker Government not to take any policy decision during the six months period ahead of the general elections.

He said the JSD demanded enactment of laws to disqualify war criminals, parties involved in war crimes and parties based on religion and communal sentiment from contesting in the election.

Inu demanded of the Government to invite Janasanghati Samity led by Jatipriya Bodhipriya Larma alias Shantu Larma in the dialogue.

The JSD leader said they urged the Government not to hold local body elections without enactment of coordinated laws.

Adviser for Education Hossain Zillur Rahman said all issues were discussed in the dialogue freely and the Government is taking all out efforts to ensure all party participation in the dialogue.

The Adviser said proposals on national issues would emerge through such discussions, which are important for pre and post-election period.

Referring to a JSD proposal, he said the Government would attach importance to strengthen the anti-terror drive at the grassroots level to create a congenial atmosphere ahead of the elections.

He said the Government would take measure soon to ease the trade union activities in the country.

The other members of the JSD delegation included Mainuddin Khan Badal, Sharif Nurul Ambia, Syed Zafar Sajjad, Adv Rabiul Alam, Indu Nandan Dutta and Shirin Akhtar.

AL extended meet begins today

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Awami League is going to hold its central extended meeting today inserting issue of detained party chief Sheikh Hasina's release on top of the agenda and aiming to obtain some vital decision for the interest of party that includes the issue of joining Government-sponsored dialogue.

Last extended meeting of the Awami League was held in 2001 when it was in government and the national council on December 26, 2002.

The party will seek opinion from the leaders of different levels about the political dialogue and upcoming parliamentary election.

The extended meeting will take the decision whether the party will join the dialogue with the caretaker government or not and the parliamentary election scheduled in December keeping Sheikh Hasina behind the bar.

The meeting will also draw the further action plan of the party to get Sheikh Hasina free, withdrawal of emergency, removal of restriction on politics and release of other party leaders who has been detained during the caretaker government tenure.

It will also review the cases filed against the party leaders during the period of both the BNP-Jamaat and caretaker government.

Few days ago the central committee asked the district and thana committees to submit reports on the party's current policy after the imposition of the State of Emergency, the number of cases filed against district leaders and workers and the number of party-men who went into hiding.

The president and secretary of district and thana units will submit overall situation of their respective areas, prevailing crises and future action plan in this critical situation.

The members of the central committee, advisory council and national committee, former MPs, presidents and general secretaries of 72 organizational district committees, presidents and general secretaries of the party's nine front organizations and assistant secretaries of AL central subcommittees will be present at the meeting.

About 840 to 870 delegates from different wings of Awami League will participate in the daylong-extended meeting at the Engineers Institution.

The meeting, which will be divided in five segments, will begin at 10am and will end at 10pm.

Task force nabs 11 Customs, Biman staff at Zia

Eleven Customs and Biman employees were arrested
yesterday at Zia International Airport by the members of
joint forces for their alleged involvement in corruption.
FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

A special task force yesterday arrested 11 staff of customs and Biman from the ZIA International Airport for their involvement in manipulating measurement of goods for pecuniary gain.

The task force drive at the Airport was conducted for helping the Biman Bangladesh Airlines to be more dynamic and profitable organisation by removing corruption and irregularities from the national flag carrier.

On a tip off, the task force swooped on the weighing counter and caught red-handed five Customs officials and six Biman staff of the airport.

30 varsity students hurt in clash over eve teasing

Students of Shanta Mariam University attacked the
Asian University students at Uttara in the city over an
incident of eve teasing yesterday. FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

At least 30 students of the Asian University and Shanto Mariam University of Creative Technology were injured, seven of them seriously, in a clash yesterday between the students of the two universities located at Uttara model town over teasing of a girl student.

Seven of the seriously injured students were admitted to local clinics.

University sources said Rumana, a student of the Asian University, was teased by Samrat, a student of the same university on Thursday. This infuriated Mehdi Hasan Rana, bother of Rumana and a student of the Shanto Mariam University adjacent to the Asian University.

When Mehdi rebuked Samrat yesterday for his indecent behaviour with Rumana,the latter along with friends assaulted the former. After the incident, rumour was afloat that Mehdi died at a result of severe beating by Samrat and his friends.

On hearing the reported death of Mehdi, a group of students of the Shanto Mariam Univseristy rushed to the Asian University and later embroiled themselves in a clash with the students of the latter.

The law enforcers had to intervene to bring the situation under control.

US signals Zardari to remove Musharraf

UNB, Islamabad

The United States has given its green signal to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to remove President General Pervez Musahrraf from his office, local newspaper The Nation reported. According to the report, the US government has conveyed its message to PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to initiate move to remove General Pervez from the presidency. The report quoting a reliable source said that US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, along with a delegation of Democratic Senators, would be visiting Pakistan within next three days to meet President

Pervez Musharraf and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

"Negroponte will arrive in Pakistan with a message of US President George W Bush for President Musharraf," the newspaper said.

It said that Negroponte will give a timeframe to President Pervez Musharraf for quitting his office. The PPP influential leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim is likely to become the new president after General Pervez Musharraf steps down, it said.

In the meantime, the Pakistan Peoples Party central executive committee on Saturday disclosed a proposed constitutional package to resolve the political crisis in Pakistan.

The proposed package was drafted to amend the Pakistan constitution that includes cutting presidential power, restoration of sacked judges and enhancement of prime minister's power in appointing the army chief, posting of officers of armed forces and appointing provincial governors and bureaucrats. These powers are now exercised by the President.

Besides, as local newspapers reported, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari instructed Federal Law Minister Farook H Naek to present the proposed constitution amendment package to his government's coalition partner Pakistan Muslim League-N President Mian Newaz Sharif in person.

PPP sources said the draft constitutional package was dispatched to Newaz Sharif so that the main coalition partner would have a detail view of it and later Zardari would himself discuss it with Newaz Sharif.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhury Saturday visited Faisalabad city to address a lawyers' convention where he was given a rousing welcome. Earlier, he was given official protocol by the provincial government when entered into Punjab with his motorcade of campaigning lawyers.