Judicial assistance in every UP for village court: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Saturday that the government is considering appointing a judicial assistance to each union parishad across the country to help public representatives making the village court operational.

She said the village court system would be expanded to all unions and it would be an ideal model of delivery of justice in the developing countries.

Initially there might have some loopholes, but the process will be standardised gradually, she said.

The prime minister was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day Village Court Conference under Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Project at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

She declared that Rangpur Pourasabha will be upgraded to a city corporation very shortly.

Chairmen and secretaries of 350 UPs under the project are taking part in the conference to review the success of the Village Court Law and identify its loopholes for improvement.

Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Syed Asharful Islam, State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, UNDP Resident Representative Neal Walker and EU Delegation charge d'affaires Milko Van Gool attended the function as special guests.

Secretary of the Local Government Division Abul Alam M Shahid Khan was in the chair while director of the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Project K M Mozammel Haque spoke, among others, on the occasion.

With the financial assistance of the UNDP and EU, the Local Government Division initiated the 'Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Project' in 2009 in 350 unions preliminarily aimed at executing the village court law enacted to give the traditional local dispute resolving system a formal shape and legal structure.

The prime minister said her government has taken steps to introduce village courts in remaining over 4,000 UPs outside the project area and urged the donors to come forward to provide assistance in this regard.

She reminded that the village court is a unique opportunity for elected representatives to deliver justice and service to people. On the one hand, it's an authority and a huge responsibility on the other, she said.

"Nothing unjustified should be imposed being influenced by others and religious superstition and fanaticism should not have any role in discharging justice," she said adding there should also have provision of punishment against any false complaint.

The disputes should have to be resolved through understanding and motivation, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said local representatives through applying the authority bestowed upon them by the village court law can earn the confidence and love of the people. Peaceful solution of disputes would also help maintain peace in society and fraternity among people, she noted.

Saying that her government is pledged bound to undertake any activity for the welfare of the people, she hoped that village court would pave the way for ensuring justice for the poor and disadvantaged rural people.

She said one of the main election pledges of the present government was to establish a strong and effective local government system.

To fulfill the commitment, she said, the government is working relentlessly. People have already started to derive the benefits from the development initiatives of the present government, she said.

Mount Everest Second Bangladeshi Woman Wasfia returns home,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Wasfia Nazreen, the second Bangladeshi woman to conquer Mount Everest, has dedicated her feat to those working for the emancipation of women in the country.

She said this while talking to reporters on her arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Katmandu Saturday afternoon.

From the airport, she headed for Rayerbazar killing field in the capital to pay tribute to the martyred intellectuals.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the mountaineer touched the tarmac of the airport around 1:30pm.

Family members, friends and members of the Bangladesh on Seven Summits campaign greeted her.

She returned home on completion of the over two-month-long successful expedition.

She set off on her Everest's mission on March 26, reaching the peak on May 26 only a week after first Bangladeshi woman Nishat Majumder's feat to conquer the world's highest peak.

Wasfia launched her expedition to scale the highest peaks of the seven continents last July under the Bangladesh on Seven Summits campaign celebrating the country's 40 years of independence.

On October 2 last year, she became the first Bangladeshi woman to reach the highest peak of Africa, Uhuru peak of Mt Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.

She reached the peak of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina last December 16. She came back 300 metres off the peak of Mount Elbrus in Russia on July 12 same year.

Musa Ibrahim is the first Bangladeshi to conquer Mount Everest on May 23, 2010.

BNP firm on holding Monday rally,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The main opposition BNP is determined to proceed with its June 11 rally even if it does not get permission from the administration for the agitation programme.

Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, BNP standing committee member Tariqul Islam said they would hold the rally in front of its Nayapaltan head office as they were yet to secure permission for any of three venues they applied for.

Earlier, the party appealed to the authorities concerned for permission to organise the rally either at Paltan Maidan or Manik Mia Avenue or in front of its Nayapaltan office.

“We are yet to get permission from the respective police officials to organise the June 11 rally," Tariqul said at the briefing organised at their head office to inform the media about the latest development of the rally.

He said: "A BNP-delegation today (Saturday) waited for two hours to meet DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed. But he refused to meet with the BNP leaders saying that he was busy.”

BNP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia from the March 12 rally in the capital had given a three-month ultimatum to government to restore the caretaker government system.

The deadline ends Sunday and the BNP-led 18-party alliance is scheduled to announce their next course of action from the June 11 rally as the government did not responded to its ultimatum.

Meanwhile, the BNP chief is scheduled to sit with members of the national standing committee, party's highest policymaking body, ahead of Monday's rally, party sources said.

The meeting will be held at around 9:00pm at Khaleda’s Gulshan office.

In the Saturday's briefing, Tariqul Islam told reporters that the government was showing ‘very indecent attitude’ to the opposition by not giving it permission to hold the June 11 rally.

“This will bring no good for the democracy and the government will have to take responsibility if any untoward incident occurs,” he added.

The BNP leader said preparation for the June 11 rally was almost final and 30 percent of their leaders and activists had already reached the capital to attend the rally.

Earlier in the morning, a BNP-delegation led by Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque went to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief to get permission to use Paltan Maidan and to use loudspeakers at the rally.

But they could not meet the DMP commissioner. Farroque said they will again try on Sunday to call on the DMP commissioner.

Speaker may give ruling to end face-off: Law Minister Shafique Ahmed,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed on Saturday hoped that the existing divergence between the legislature and the judiciary would be resolved through a ruling by the Speaker in parliament.

“The Jatiya Sangsad Speaker is a very competent, prudent and scholar man. I feel that he will give a ruling to bring the issue involving the parliament and the Supreme Court to an end,” he said, adding that there is no need to refer this matter to the Supreme Judicial Council.

The minister made this comment while talking to reporters after inaugurating a workshop on “Children Act: Reforms of Children Justice System” at Brac Centre Inn.

The disagreement between the legislature and the judiciary surfaced after a High Court bench and some Awami League-led ruling alliance lawmakers traded remarks against each other on June 5.

The bench led by Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik on the day said the parliament Speaker had provoked people against the apex court by making comments on its directive on a piece of Supreme Court land, and that the act amounted to sedition.

The same day, some lawmakers, including Suranjit Sengupta, Tofail Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Rashed Khan Menon, said in parliament that Justice Manik had violated the constitution by making “derogatory remarks” about the Speaker.

They also demanded that the president ask the chief justice to constitute a Supreme Judicial Council for removing Manik from office.

The law minister on Saturday told reporters that the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, which are the three supreme constitutional organs of the state, will discharge their functions within their jurisdictions with mutual respect.

Replying to a question over a lawyer’s request to the president to remove Justice Manik through the Supreme Judicial Council on different allegations, Shafique Ahmed said the lawyer’s request is unexpected since there is no logical reason behind this urge.

Restaurants declared smoke-free,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

All restaurants have been declared smoke-free in an attempt to supplement government efforts to ensure clean environment for the sake of public health.

Kamar Uddin Ahmed Khokon, president of Bangladesh Restaurant Owner’s Association, made the announcement at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Saturday.

The owners want the government to include restaurants as public place in the anti-tobacco law to help them implement their decision, the association president said.

Muhith blamed for police rank limbo,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Police personnel are dismayed at the delay in the upgrading of the rank of police inspector from second class to first class and that of sub-inspector to second class.

The leaders of Bangladesh Police Association, an association of police personnel from Inspectors to Constables, believe Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith is behind the decision not being implemented.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced the elevation earlier in the year.

Claiming the promotion file is 'lying on the Finance Minister's table', the President of the association Officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station Sirajul Islam told bdnews24.com, "Our question is why the promotion file is still on his table although the Prime Minister had twice ordered the upgrade of the class."

He said they were trying to meet the Finance Minister over the issue and informed the Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Police Shahidul Haque about their dissatisfaction after meeting him on Wednesday.

"I have suggested that they carry out their duties without getting frustrated as Police are a well-disciplined force," Haque told .

A policeman , seeking anonymity, said the leaders of the associations also expressed their at the Finance minister recent comment that the police force is at the top corruption.

'Every police member from the police station's OC to Constable takes bribe," Muhith had said.   

Any talks within constitutional limits: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said any talks between the government and the opposition must be held under the basic constitutional framework.

Her remark is an apparent snub to the BNP's demand for a return of the constitutional provision on a non-party caretaker government to oversee the next elections.

The Awami League-majority Parliament has dropped the caretaker provision through the 15th Amendment to the Constitution going partially by a Supreme Court verdict.

"Sheikh Hasina has told today's (Friday) meeting that the talks with BNP will be held only held under basic constitutional framework," Local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters after the party's Central Working Committee meeting at Ganabhaban.

On the issue of BNP's June 10 ultimatum demanding the reinstallation of non-partisan caretaker government system, Ashraf, the ruling Awami League's spokesperson said, "Ultimatum is a joke in politics. We also issued ultimatum when in opposition. The June 10 deadline is a part of politics."

"Isn't discussion going on?' he shot back at the reporters.
When asked whether the government was taking any measures to hold talks, the party's General Secretary replied, "Can talks take place through newspaper advertisement? I can assure you that all the ways to talks are open. All doors are wide open"

He guaranteed that an acceptable parliamentary election participated by all parties will be held in time. "The party that wins public mandate will form government. You then please check that out with me."   

Budget a document of failure: Moudud Ahmed,BNP,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Senior opposition leader Moudud Ahmed on Friday termed the new fiscal's budget 'a document of failure' of the government.

The BNP Standing Committee Member warned that its implementation would further ruin the economy.

"According to last year's statistics, the government could not achieve the target in many sectors including the GDP growth. They have prepared the budget of 2012-13 based on contraction policy," he said at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club on Friday.

"The budget will not bring any change to the fate of general people. It would neither reduce prices of essentials, nor would it increase investment and export.

"Instead, it would trigger inflation. It won't help create employment either. As a result, the country's economy will go down," Moudud claimed.

The BNP leader also thinks that it would not be possible for the government to implement the Tk 1.9 trillion budget.

"The government will not be able to reach the target of achieving 7.2 percent GDP."

The former Law Minister that the debate over non-party government will be settled in the streets if the government did not meet the opposition's demand.

"Opposition leader Khaleda Zia will announce new agitation programmes from the rally scheduled to be held in Dhaka on Monday."

The discussion was organised by Jatiyatabadi Shangskritik Dal in observance of the 31st death anniversary of BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman. 

Budget 2012-2013 Budget not big Muhith moves on to his back foot; claims implementation capacity has grown extraordinarily; slates outage critics

BANGLADESH NEWS

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is not a big one and has been prepared in line with political promises.
"I do not admit that it is a bigger budget. It is a small budget for a country like Bangladesh."
He said the budget size for 2012-13 is Tk 191,738 crore, which is 18.4 percent of gross domestic product. "In terms of GDP, our budget is the smallest in South Asia.”
The minister was addressing a post-budget press briefing at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka yesterday.
He also said questions always crop up about the budget implementation.
After the unveiling of the budget on Thursday, analysts in their reaction said the government would face formidable challenges in implementing the budget.
But Muhith said, "Our implementation capacity has grown extraordinarily. When we came to power three years ago we used to spend Tk 19,000 crore for Annual Development Programme. Now we are spending Tk 40,000 crore."
The minister defended his decision to nearly double the tax at source for the export-oriented sectors including garments industries.
People having more wealth in the country were paying less tax, he said. "Sectors like garments are making huge money, but they are not higher taxpayers like the Square Group. We are showing so much sympathy to them. We have retained the stimulus packages for them."
National Board of Revenue Chairman Nasiruddin Ahmed, who was also present at the briefing, said garment exporters make 10 percent operating profit, whereas they give taxes to the tune of 0.6 percent, which is too low.
"Due to recent exchange rate depreciation of taka, the garment exporters have made an additional profit of Tk 7,000 crore. So, the proposed 1.2 percent tax at source on gross for the export-oriented industries is still low and it should be much higher," he said, citing a study.
"We will adjust it gradually."
Recently, the president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry said there were 3 crores businesspeople in Bangladesh. Only 30 lakh people have tax identification numbers and one-third of them -- nearly half of them government officials -- pay taxes regularly.
On the issue, Muhith yesterday said, "It is a matter of shame and everybody should admit it.
"There is a mentality of tax-dodging around the world and countries have employed methods to realise tax.
"We are also devising plans to realise more tax."
The finance minister also said there has been an extraordinary achievement in the energy sector, especially in electricity generation. "I do not understand why critics do not see the progress of the electricity sector.”
On the much-talked-about rental power plants, he said, "Bangladesh's reliance for electricity on these plants will come down to 6 percent by 2016 from the existing 21 percent. These plants will retire by the time."
The finance minister said Bangladesh had achieved 5 to 6.7 percent growth in GDP amid stagnant investment situations for several years.
He hoped the country would achieve the targeted 7.2 percent economic growth in the upcoming fiscal year.
On political scenario, Muhith said there has been a major shift in the mentality of the country's politicians. The opposition is not always calling strikes, rather opting for alternatives.
He also denied claims that the International Monetary Fund had imposed conditions for $1 billion credit to Bangladesh. "The IMF has incorporated the government's various measures in its programme."
Muhith said the government does not have plans to award any dearness allowance to the government officials. "We will however set up a permanent pay commission in the remaining period of the government's term."
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman, Planning Minister AK Khandker, Finance Secretary Mohammad Tareque, PM's Economic Adviser Mashiur Rahman and Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.
Matia Chowdhury said many parts of the country face load-shedding at night, as hundreds of easy bikes, a three-wheeler passenger carrying vehicle, consume 300 megawatt of electricity, according to a study.
She said these bikes started to ply the roads during the rule of the last caretaker government. "This is a suicidal decision."
As Muhith noted the imports of such bikes were banned in Bangladesh, Matia said such bikes were also produced within the country on a limited scale.
Atiur Rahman said the country could reach its budgetary target of inflation of 7.5 percent in the new fiscal year, if the government ensured coordination between fiscal and monetary policies.
Mohammad Tareque said the subsidies in 2012-13 would total Tk 34,533 crore or 3.3 percent of GDP.
In the outgoing fiscal year, the government set a subsidy target of Tk 20,447 crore, but it rose to Tk 30,154 in the revised budget.

Govt opts for 'easy tax' Reacts CPD; says injustice done to taxpayers; critical of subsidy shift from farm sector to energy,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The government has done injustice to taxpayers by increasing the minimum individual tax without raising the tax-free income threshold and also by imposing new tax on mobile phone users, the Centre for Policy Dialogue said yesterday.

The research organisation's comment came a day after the finance minister placed the national budget for fiscal 2012-13 in parliament.

CPD has also identified a shift in subsidies from agriculture and food sector to power and energy, which may create disparity between the rich and the poor. The think-tank is also against the scope for whitening undisclosed money.

“We are sorry to see no change in personal income tax threshold, which remains at Tk 1,80,000. But the minimum tax has been raised to Tk 3,000 from Tk 2,000,” Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of CPD, said at a press briefing at Brac Centre Inn in the capital yesterday.

CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman gave welcome speech at the post-budget briefing that focused on income and talk-time taxes that affect the general public.

On the imposition of 2 percent tax at source on mobile bill (both post-paid and prepaid), the think-tank said it was not justified from the view of social justice.

“If the government is keen to raise taxes, it should go for 'ability-to-pay' method and find ways to impose taxes on uses of various services by the people with more resources,” said CPD.

Debapriya said the government had opted for "easy tax", which is flat and can be collected faster. “But it is neither efficient nor sustainable.”

According to him, the government has failed to find out innovative ways to increase tax collection.

Land tax, which has been proposed to be deducted at source at 3 to 5 percent depending on the location, would lead to a rise in land prices, he added.

While imposing taxes, the government should follow the progressive method, meaning that the higher income group will pay higher taxes.

CPD also proposed reduction of export tax to 1 percent from 1.2 percent, but increasing farm subsidy.

The think-tank said the speech of the finance minister did not reflect the problems arising from the macroeconomic management in the outgoing fiscal year.

Falling investment is one of those problems, which CPD says got no attention in the budget. The monetary growth targets do not match the envisaged growth-investment target.

Also got little or no attention are the construction of Padma Bridge, projects under public-private partnership, containing inflation and fiscal consolidation, among others.

Rising payments for interests is also becoming a burden on the government.

Fiscal framework, price adjustment policy, privatisation and reforms of state-owned enterprises, possible income from Bangladesh-India transit and analysis on the IMF loan were either incomplete in or absent from the budget, the CPD analysis found.

Though the budget seems "grammatically okay", its inconsistencies will surface during implementation.

“Financing structure looks very ideal, but if the government can manage it is a big question,” said Debapriya.

Nevertheless, the CPD hailed the finance minister for his plan to reduce public expenditure in line with the income. Five percent deficit of GDP is not that big, it said.

Replying to a query, Debapriya said the proposed budget was not at all an election budget as the government reduced allocation for social safety net schemes that are generally employed to woo voters.

“The credibility of the budget will largely depend on its implementation, which requires a revolutionary change in the implementing agencies,” he said.

Mobile Bill Tax Govt may review proposal,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has hinted at reversing a plan to impose 2 percent tax at source on mobile phone bills.

Responding to a query on whether he would review the fact that the tax to be entirely borne by customers, he said, “It certainly needs consideration. Let's see.”

Muhith was talking to journalists in an open discussion at Osmani Memorial Auditorium yesterday, a day after he had presented the budget for 2012-13 fiscal in parliament.

In the discussion, a journalist observed that the new tax would be a burden for the lower income people, such as rickshaw pullers and farmers.

In his budget speech, the minister proposed the tax on the total bill for post-paid subscribers and on every recharging for pre-paid users.

The tax plan has spawned confusion among consumers and industry leaders.

The country's around nine crore mobile users already pay 15 percent value added tax. If the new tax proposal is taken into account they would have to pay 17 percent tax which might trouble the people of the lower income brackets, said industry insiders.

Tax to be deducted at source on mobile bills, as mentioned in budget documents, was misleading, said AF Nesaruddin, a chartered accountant and partner of Hoda Vasi Chowdhury & Co. Tax deducted at source is a way of collecting income tax and should not be mixed with consumption tax, he said.

“As for mobile bills, there is no element of income tax for users. Tax on mobile bills can be termed consumption tax or levy,” he said, “Most importantly, tax at source is adjustable against the total income tax liability, but consumption tax is not.”

Mentionable, the value added tax is a form of consumption tax.

Black money for investment Defends Muhith,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday defended provisions for legalising undisclosed money in the proposed budget saying it would bring investment and prevent cash going out of the country.

Muhith said the amount of undisclosed money in the economy is huge, something between 42 and 82 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

"We have given scope to bring the undisclosed money to the market because we want the undisclosed money invested in the economy. We want to utilise the money.

"We kept provision for penalty for this scope," he told reporters at the post-budget press briefing at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.

"We have not kept the scope for investment as a condition for whitening the undisclosed money. We will include it before the budget gets passed," said Muhith.

According to the budget proposals for 2012-13, individuals can legalise their undisclosed money with 10 percent fine.

Individuals have to pay regular tax plus the 10 percent fine, said the finance minister, dispelling confusions that one would have to pay only 10 percent fine to legalise money.

Nasiruddin Ahmed, chairman of National Board of Revenue, said in the current fiscal year, the government had given the scope to legalise undisclosed money in the stockmarket. "None has availed the scope so far," he said. "The scope expires on 15 July this year."

However, a number of days are left in the outgoing fiscal year and Nasiruddin hoped that people with undisclosed money would come forward and legalise their money.