Day: September 4, 2023

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the 'train of upcoming election' would not wait for anyone and the polls will be held on time.

"In fact, BNP wants to foil the election process. They were failed in 2014. But the people would resist them with iron hand if they try to foil the next elections as most of the countrymen support Awami League. We - Awami League - will not also sit down idle," he said.

The minister told reporters while replying to a query after attending the first anniversary of the 'Dainik Bangla' which was closed in 1997 and was later revived on September 4, 2022, at a hotel in the city's Gulshan area.

The newspaper publisher and founder chairman of the Canadian University of Bangladesh Dr Chowdhury Nafiz Sarafat, acting editor Chowdhury Jafarullah Sharafat and president of Bangladesh Private University Association and Insurance Association Sheikh Kabir Hossain, among others, were present there.

Dr Hasan said the train of next elections would wait for none like 2014 and 2018 polls.

The minister hoped that BNP will sit in the train of polls in the upcoming election. The polls will be held on time whether they take part or not, he continued.

He said the main issue is whether the countrymen would take part in the polls or not. The elections will be acceptable if the masses take part in the polls enormously, he added.

He hoped that the countrymen would take part in the upcoming general elections like city corporations polls where BNP didn't take part.

Replying to another query over a comment of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on the Rohingya issue, the information minister said BNP couldn't send back Rohingya who came during BNP's tenure. The Rohingyas entered in Bangladesh in 1976-1977. Even, they are now Bangladeshi citizens, he added.

He said the Rohingyas entered in 1991-1992 when Begum Khaleda Zia was the prime minister. Many of them are staying in different places in the Chattogram region, he added.

In fact, Dr Hasan said, BNP doesn't want any solution to the Rohingya crisis. "We are trying diplomatically to solve it. And there are many progresses. I hope it will be solved," he added.

Earlier in the function, the information minister congratulated all members of the daily, its readers and patrons.

He said the country is marching ahead indomitably under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The successes of the state and the people should be published in mass media, he added.

Later, Dr Hasan cut a cake and handed over a crest to acting editor of the daily Chowdhury Jafarullah Sharafat marking his 40 years anniversary as a sports commentator.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The Bangladesh Small and Cottage

Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Bill, 2023 passed in the parliament keeping a

provision of two years in prison and a maximum fine of Taka 50,000 for

providing false information for borrowing money from the corporation.

The bill moved in the House by Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun

placed in the House and it was passed by voice votes with Speaker Dr Shirin

Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

The Bill said that if anyone damages or replaces any border wall the

punishment will be maximum six months of imprisonment or maximum Taka 100,000

as fine or both. The proposed bill will replace the Bangladesh Small and

Cottage Industries Corporation Act, 1957.

If anyone creates obstacles in any work of the Bscic-appointed developer or

contractor then the punishment will be the same.

For illegal land grabbing and construction of infrastructures the punishment

will be the same also.

If anyone transfers any plot illegally, then the punishment will be one year

of imprisonment (maximum) or fine of Taka 50,000 (maximum) or both.

The Bill will make the industrial entities under the Bscic more effective.

The proposed law will promote women entrepreneurs as the existing law, 1957

is outdated.

The Bill said that the Corporation can take necessary steps to create women

entrepreneurs in industrial sector and give them protection.

As per the proposed law, the authorized capital of the Corporation will be

Taka 3,000 crore while the paid up will be Taka 2637.22 crore.

There will be a 16-member board of directors for the Corporation and chairman

of the entity will be the president.

The Corporation will have 10 directors and the government will appoint all

the directors.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Family Courts Bill, 2023 passed in the

Parliament today aiming to replace an ordinance of the military regime with

some changes.

Law Minister Anisul Huq moved the bill in the House and it was passed by

voice votes with Deputy Speaker Shamsul Huq Tuku in the chair.

The proposed law will replace the Family Court Ordinance, 1985.

As per the proposed law, the government can consider not only the court of

district judges but also the courts of other judges equivalent to the

district judges as appellate courts for such cases.

Appeals can also be made to other courts of district judge status against the

judgment of a trial court under the proposed law.

Besides, the bill has proposed to increase the court fee of family court

cases from Taka 50 to Taka 200.

In the previous law, the appeal of the case in the judicial court was only

available to the court of the district judge.

This increased the pressure on the district judge to hear the case.

This amendment has been brought in the law to reduce the burden of cases.

According to the proposed law, there are more judges at the district level,

women and children or labor courts.

It is stated in the proposed bill that the court fee for the case in this

court is currently Taka 50. It is proposed to increase it to Taka 200.

It covers matters of marital discord, divorce, marriage and child support.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha