Dhaka, Sept 12 (UNB) - The ‘Standards of Weights and Measures Bill, 2018’, was placed in Parliament on Wednesday, aiming to achieve international standard in maintaining weight and measurement of products.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective Parliamentary Standing Committee for further scrutiny.

The Committee was asked to submit its report within 15 working days.

About the crimes and punishment under the proposed law, without prior approval from the government, anyone using non-standard weights will be awarded maximum six months jail or maximum Tk 20,000 fine instead of six months of jail or Tk 3,000 fine under the existing law.

Besides, there is a provision in the draft law to award one year jail term or fine Tk one lakh for non-standard weights and measurements.

Anyone found involved in changing the working standards of the weights and measures will be awarded maximum two years of imprisonment or fined Tk 50,000.

Apart from this, a provision is also there for maximum one year of imprisonment or Tk 50,000 as fine for producing non-standard weights and measures for the purpose of export.

For the purpose, the original Standard of Weights and Measures Ordinance 1982 has been translated into Bangla and modified through incorporating the issues related with the international organisations such as Asia Pacific Meteorology Programme (APMP), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electro-technical Commission (IEC).

Besides, the issues related to Codex Alimentarius Commission, South Asia Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO), International Bureau of Weights and Measures and the International Organisation of Legal Meteorology were also incorporated in the draft law.

Dhaka, Sept 11 (UNB)- 'Housing and Building Research Institute Bill 2018’ was placed in  Parliament on Wednesday,  aiming to  ensure housing facilities for all.

The move to enact the new law came as the Housing and Building Research Institute was established with an ordinance promulgated during the military regime in 1977.

Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The committee was asked to submit its report within seven working days.

As per the bill, the head office of the Institute will be located in Dhaka. Its branches can be established in any part of the country taking prior permission from the government.

The council to run the institute will consist of 22 members including the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works as its Chairman.

The council will sit for two times at least in a year.

There will be an 8-member Executive Committee, including the director general, who will be its chairman.

Dhaka, Sept 12 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told Parliament that the government is actively considering the formation of a commission to identify other conspirators behind the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“The matter of formation of a commission to identify other masterminds of the assassination of the Father of the Nation is now under government’s active consideration,” she said replying to a starred question from Awami League MP Mohd Abdullah (Laxmipur-4).

The Prime Minister said many information regarding the conspiracy behind the killing of the Father of the Nation got exposed during the two consecutive terms of the Awami League government.

“According to the information, some people and organisations from both home and abroad had indirectly been involved in the conspiracy,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said efforts are on to bring the killers of the Father of Nation, who are now hiding abroad, back home.

An inter-ministerial committee formed in this regard comprising the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Home Ministry is working in a coordinated way over the issue, she said.

A petition has been placed before the Canadian Federal Court of Justice for providing information about how fugitive convicted killer Noor Chowdhury is living in Canada, the Prime Minister added.

Diplomatic and legal measures have been taken to bring another fugitive convict, Rashed Chowdhury, back from the USA, she said, adding that lawyers have been appointed there for taking the legal measures.

Besides, the taskforce is working to bring other fugitive convicts back home and red alert has been issued through the Interpol to arrest them, Hasina added.
 

Dhaka, Sept 12 (UNB) - BNP senior leaders on Wednesday warned the government that their party together with people will not allow anyone to hold the 11th parliamentary polls without the release of their chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

Speaking at a two-hour token-hunger strike, they also voiced their strong resolve to free Khaleda from jail through a strong movement.

BNP arranged the programme from 10am to 12pm on the premises of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, demanding its Chairperson Khaleda Zia's release from jail and her proper treatment.

“The country’s people and different political parties have now reached a consensus that the next election must be fair and participatory one. Our foreign friends are also saying the polls must be inclusive one,” said BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

He further said, “We would like to say the election won’t be participatory one without the participation of BNP and Khaleda Zia. We won’t allow holding any such polls. We’ll join the election after freeing our leader.”
 
The BNP leader alleged that the government has kept Khaleda Zia in jail by convicting her ‘unfairly in a false’ case. “We demand her unconditional release. Democracy won’t be restored without her release. So, we must free her through a movement.”

He criticised the government for not taking steps for ensuring proper treatment of Khaleda. “It’s the government’s responsibility to provide her with treatment since she is in jail. But it’s not taking any step in this regard.”

Mosharraf also alleged that the government is conspiring to hold another January 5-like election to hang onto power. “We would like to say we won’t allow holding any such voter-less election.”

He renewed their party’s demand for resignation of the government before the announcement of the election schedule, reconstitution of the Election Commission and deployment of army to hold the next polls in a fair and credible manner.

Another BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said it is now not possible to free Khaleda free from jail through a legal battle. “Taking to the streets is the only way to ensure her release. We’re on a movement and we’ll intensify it to ensure the government’s fall.”

He warned that their party will come up with strong action programmes to unseat the government at a right time. 

The BNP leader called upon BNP leaders and activists to get necessary preparations to make their movement a success.

Several thousand BNP leaders and activists holding banners, festoons and placards joined the token hunger-strike programme and chanting slogans to have their chairperson freed from jail.

A large number of law enforcers were deployed near the venue to maintain law and order.

The BNP men broke their hunger strike by taking water provided by ex-Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed around 12pm.

Besides, the similar programme was held in most district towns and metropolitan cities across the country.

Earlier, on Monday, BNP formed human chains across the country, including in front the Jatiya Press Club in the capital, to press the same demand. 

BNP Chairperson Khaleda has been in jail since a special court convicted her in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8.

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 12(AP/UNB) — Malaysia's prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim will contest a by-election that is expected to pave the way for his return to active politics, officials said Wednesday.

Lawmaker Danyal Balagopal Abdullah said he has resigned as a member of Parliament in Port Dickson, a southern coastal town, to make way for Anwar's comeback. The Election Commission must set a date for the by-election within two months.

Anwar, 70, is the anointed successor to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The two had a power struggle 20 years ago that led to Anwar's sacking and imprisonment. Anwar was convicted again in 2015 on the same charge of sodomy but joined hands with Mahathir to win national elections in May that ushered in the first transition of power since independence from Britain in 1957.

He was freed from prison and pardoned by the king after the elections.

Domestic Trade Minister Saifuddin Nasution, who is a senior official in Anwar's party, said there is no timeframe for Anwar to take over the top job and that Anwar has reiterated that he will give his full support to Mahathir.

"He has stated clearly that if he wins as a member of Parliament, he will focus on parliamentary reforms. He will not hold any government positions," Saifuddin told a news conference.

Anwar has previously said he wasn't in a rush to take over as prime minister and that he will not interfere with Mahathir's governance.

Mahathir, who is the world's oldest leader at 93, told The Associated Press In an interview last month that he expects to be in office for at least two years and will keep his promise to hand over power to Anwar.

Anwar was once a high-flyer in the former ruling coalition but was convicted of homosexual sodomy and corruption after a power struggle in 1998 with Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years until 2003. He was freed in 2004 and convicted again in 2015 of sodomy, which he said was concocted to destroy his political career.

Anwar worked from his prison cell to forge a new opposition alliance by ending his two-decade feud with Mahathir, a gamble that paid off when the alliance won the polls.