BANGLADESH

Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) has proposed launching a simpler quota system arguing it is not possible to select eligible candidates fairly under the current quota system.

According to the annual report of the PSC for 2011 presented in Parliament on Sunday, the implementation of the current policy regarding the quota system is 'very much complex, difficult and requires (too) much time'.

"It is almost impossible to select eligible candidates following a 100 percent perfect way for the complexity in the current quota system. It is warranted to simplify the current quota system to select candidates through BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) examination.

"Otherwise, it is not possible to be free from the complexities to implement the current quota system," the report said.

It proposed appointment of candidates in quotas for freedom fighters, women and small ethnic groups by categorising them nationally. "The complexity will increase if they are appointed on the basis of districts, divisions or size of population."

"Such posts can be distributed among the candidates in line with the merit list," the report said.

PSC Chairman A T Ahmedul Haque Chowdhury told , "Whatever is in the district quota, it should not create any hindrance."

"In many cases, candidates from other quotas get fewer appointments through this [district] quota. As a result, we face problems to meet the conditions of the quota system."

"It becomes difficult to select eligible candidates," he added.

In the current quota system, freedom fighters' sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters get 30 percent, women 10 percent, small ethnic groups five percent and those under district quota get 10 percent jobs in the civil service.

Of the 6,455 people appointed through the 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th BCS examinations, 1,145 were appointed from freedom fighters' quota, 897 from women's quota, 61 from small ethnic groups' quota and 960 from districts' quota, the report said.

The PSC also proposed increasing the age limit of candidates of the posts of assistant professor, associate professor and professor of government colleges.

"Most of the eligible teachers of the government colleges cannot apply for the posts due to the age limit," the report said.

30 percent women in past five BCS

According to the PSC report, 10,581 people were appointed through the past five BCS examinations (26th to 30th BCS).

Of them, 70.05 percent are male and the rest female.

A total of 703 or 66.13 percent male and 360 or 33.87 percent female were appointed through the 26th BCS, 2,417 or 74.62 percent male and 822 or 25.38 percent through the 27th BCS, 1,520 or 69.41 percent male and 670 or 30.59 female through the 28th BCS, 1.232 or 71.54 percent male and 490 or 28.46 percent female through the 29th BCS, and 1,623 or 68.57 percent male and 744 or 31.43 percent female through the 30th BCS.

Ten Bangladeshi workers died of suffocation from heavy smoke as a fire broke out at their rented house in Bahrain early Sunday.

Muhammad Ibrahim, Bangladesh’s first secretary (labour) in Bahrain, confirmed the deaths.

All the victims are from Comilla, he added.

Of them, one is identified as Syed Ahmed, son of one Abdul Jalil of Sadar upazila in the district.

The fire originated from an electric short circuit at 4:00am at a house in Rifa, 30 kilometres off the capital Manama, where the victims used to live, Ibrahim said.All the 10 died on the spot as billowing smoke engulfed their residence, he added.iremen rushed to the scene after having information from the neighbours of the deceased.The firemen had to break the wall to enter their house, and by that time the workers died of suffocation, Ibrahim added.

There was little arrangement for ventilation in that house,” he said. Labour department has already checked the fingerprints of the deceased and found that they entered Bahrain legally.The bodies were kept at a local hospital in Rifa.

The High Court on Monday ordered authorities to send detained BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka to the BIRDEM Hospital and asked them why he should not get regular bail.

The bench of Justices Salma Masud Chowdhury and F R M Nazmul Ahsan issued the order and the rule after hearing a bail petition of BNP Vice Chairman Khoka.

Dhaka district's Deputy Commissioner was given a week to respond.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed argued for the former Dhaka Mayor at the hearing. Additional Attorney General M K Rahman and Deputy Attorney General Khandker Diliruzzaman stood for the state.

"The court ordered the jail authorities to immediately send him (Khoka) to the BIRDEM Hospital and issued a rule on his bail. It also asked for submission of a new petition if the doctors at the BIRDEM Hospital advise transferring him to another hospital," Moudud said.

The same bench granted temporary bail to five opposition MPs on Sunday and issued a rule asking why the opposition leaders who appealed for bail should not get regular bail.

A total of 42 leaders of the BNP, its allies and their associate organisations had been sent to jail in a case over torching a bus in front of the Prime Minister's Office during a shutdown on Apr 29.

Thirty-five senior leaders of the 18-Party Alliance, arrested in the case, appealed to the High Court against the May 23 rejection of their bail by a Sessions Judges' Court. The arrested leaders include BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Those who got interim bail from the High Court on Sunday are BNP MPs M K Anwar, Mahbub Uddin Khokan and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Oli Ahmed and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) MP Andaleeve Rahman Partho.

The court also said on Sunday that it would hear the petition of Khoka on Monday.

Tejgaon zone Assistant Commissioner of Police Shahidul Islam, closed to the police headquarters for assaulting three journalists on Saturday, has now been put under suspension.

Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmud Khandker confirmed  about the suspension of Shahidul hours after another top police official said Shahidul had been reinstated to active duty.

The move came amidst protests and agitation by journalists demanding arrest of the policemen involved in the beating and awarding exemplary punishment to them.

Earlier in the day, Additional Inspector General (AIG) Shahidul Haque told  "Shahidul Islam, who was closed off to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters after withdrawal, has been transferred to Rangamati's Betbunia."

On Saturday, some police personnel, including Islam, assaulted three photo journalists of Bengali daily Prothom Alo, who were taking photos of students of Dhaka Mohila Polytechnic Institute during their demonstration at Agargaon.

After a preliminary inquiry on the very day of mishap, authorities withdrew Islam to the police headquarters and suspended nine others. They also formed a probe committee manned by DMP Joint Commissioner Shahabuddin Qureshi and asked for a report on the incident in seven days.

Leaders of various journalists' unions demanded arrest of the police officers involved in the incident and exemplary punishment from an agitation in front of the National Press Club on Sunday.

Five opposition MPs secured six weeks' bail from the High Court in an arson attack case on Sunday, hours before the budget session of Parliament was to begin.

The bench of Justices Salma Masud Chowdhury and F R M Nazmul Ahsan also issued a rule asking the government why all the accused opposition leaders who appealed for bail should not get regular bail.

The government was given seven days to respond to the rule.

Those who got bail are BNP MPs M K Anwar, Mahbub Uddin Khokan and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Oli Ahmed and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) MP Andaleeve Rahman Partho.

They had been sent to jail in one of the cases filed under the Speedy Trial Act over torching of a vehicle during a shutdown on Apr 29.

Khandker Mahbub Hossain, former President of Supreme Court Bar Association and Advisor to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, argued for the petitioners while Additional Attorney General M K Rahman stood for the state.

M K Rahman said the court granted bail for six weeks. Mahbub Hossain, however, said the bail was for six months, not six weeks.

Earlier in the day, counsels of the opposition leaders appealed against the May 23 order of the Metropolitan Sessions Judges' Court that rejected bail pleas of the arrested 18-Party opposition alliance leaders.

The BNP had enforced the Apr 29 general strike in protest against the disappearance of one of its organising secretaries M Ilias Ali. Tejgaon police had filed a case under the Speedy Trial Act against the opposition leaders over the incident.

Thirty-three top opposition leaders, including BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Member Anwar, Students Affairs Secretary Annie, Liberal Democratic Party President Oli, and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Partho, had been sent to jail on May 17 following an order by a Dhaka metropolitan speedy trial magistrate after they surrendered in line with a previous High Court order.

BNP Joint Secretary-General Mahbub Uddin Khokan had been granted anticipatory bail until May 21 but he was arrested after the bail expired.

Another BNP Joint Secretary-General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and leader Kamrazzuman Ratan had been arrested earlier.

The other detained leaders include BNP Vice Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Standing Committee Members Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, A S M Hannan Shah, Mirza Abbas and Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Joint Secretary-General Aman Ullah Aman, Organising Secretary Fazlul Haque Milon and International Affairs Secretary Nazim Uddin Alam.

Jatiya Ganatantrik Party President Shafiul Alam Prodhan and NPP Chairman Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu had also been sent to jail in the same case.

BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, standing war crimes trial at the International Crimes Tribunal-1, on Thursday called the second witness in his case a 'Beadab' (impudent) person.

Salauddin, facing charges on 23 counts of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, shouted at the witness, Mohammad Salimullah, when the witness tried to make a statement minutes before the defence completed his cross-examination.

"Saqa (abbreviated form of Salauddin Quader used widely in the media) Chowdhury…" said Salimullah trying to make a statement that invited Salauddin's wrath just before the court went into lunch recess.

After the recess, the third witness in the case, Sirajul Islam Prokash, gave his deposition for about two hours until 4pm.

Earlier, day's proceedings at the ICT-1, formed to try crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, had barely started when defence counsel Ahsanul Haq Hena made a complaint against the  reporter covering the ICT-1 over a news report published on May 23.

"Mr. Emran (the reporter) should be reprimanded," Hena appealed to the tribunal, adding, "I pray for an action against this man."

The defence counsel provided the court copies of the report titled "Good's Hill was Al-Shams headquarters."

"'On many occasions, I have seen him (the witness) talking to beautiful girls and taking them to unknown destinations holding their hands,' said Ahsanul Haq in one of his 'unprofessional remarks' as a counsel'," was the line the counsel was objecting to.

Hena was specifically objected to the use of word 'unprofessional'. Until the court ended its day's proceedings, Hena appealed for action against the reporter at least thrice.

Justice Nizamul Huq, chief of the three-member tribunal, said, "Though the reporter thinks your behaviour was unprofessional, he should not have used the word. This is unprofessional."

In a general message to the journalists, the justice urged all to be cautious about the words they use while reporting the trial proceedings.

"...Don't hurt anybody. You say the same thing, but say it in a soothing language" was the advice of the justice to the reporters in general.

"How they (journalists) will make maal (money) if they don't write in this fashion? They (journalists) earn money even from police," Salauddin quipped at this stage.

Minutes before the tribunal sat after the lunch recess, sitting in the dock Salauddin said, "Journalists can't even spell ethics, let alone maintaining ethical standards in their reporting. How can you (Hena) expect journalists to comprehend what ethics stands for when even judges don't know what it is all about?"

Hena argued that the media could not report all that was said in the court. According to him, news reporting should be limited to the recorded proceedings.

The Defence counsel continued for several minutes as the tribunal tried to pacify him. He took some time and began cross-examining the second witness for the third consecutive day when he lost his temper yet again.

It was time again for Justice Huq to intervene: "You cannot make gestures that could hurt the witness."

"Didn't he hurt me?" came the question from Hena in response to the remark of the justice.

On Wednesday, during the cross-examination, Hena lost his temper repeatedly as Salimullah, in reply to a question said that his (Hena) father Advocate Zahurul Haq was the convener of Cox's Bazar chapter of the Peace Committee, a platform floated during the Liberation War to collaborate with the Pakistani army.

"Mr Hena, You should control your anger and temper," the tribunal chief cautioned Hena once again on Thursday.

"I am a human being, not a cow," replied the defence counsel.

"A human being should know what is good for him," said the justice.

At one stage of cross-examination, Hena described the witness as a 'completely frustrated man'. The tribunal refused to record the statement, and he went by the decision.

During Salimullah's cross-examination, Hena, who also hails from Chittagong as the accused and the witness, went on shooting teasing posers at the witness, prompting the prosecution to raise objections repeatedly.

"There is no legal basis to torture a witness in the name of cross-examination. They (the defence) are doing this in a planned way. They are doing so not only for the sake of this case, but to send a message across that if someone becomes a witness, s/he will be questioned in this very fashion for several days," prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum had objected under a similar situation on Wednesday.

The deposition of the third witness will continue on Sunday.

The International Crimes Tribunal–1 is scheduled to announce its verdict on Monday on whether Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami would be indicted for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

ICT-1, trying crimes of 1971 Liberation War, on May 3 set May 28 for delivering its decision on Nizami's indictment.

Tribunal chief Mohammad Nizamul Huq had fixed the date after Nizami's counsel Abdur Razzaq concluded his argument moving a discharge petition against the prosecution's move seeking Nizami's indictment.

The prosecution has brought 15 charges against Nizami including crimes against humanity and genocide covering murder, rape, arson and loot.

However, the absence of a specific charge against Nizami for allegedly masterminding the execution of intellectuals of Bangladesh days before the Pakistan Army surrendered on Dec 16 1971, became more conspicuous as the defence counsel did not have to utter a single word in that regard as he refuted every charge against his client.

Nizami is widely alleged to have been instrumental in masterminding and executing a plan that would cripple the potentials of a newborn country substantially.

Razzaq had argued in support of the discharge petition that president of the Islami Chhatra Sangha, the Jamaat's student wing, Nizami believed in Pakistan and its sovereignty. "He was a Pakistani, 100 percent."