Protesters and legislators converged on the European Union parliament Tuesday as the bloc prepared a cliffhanger vote on protecting its threatened nature and shielding it from disruptive environmental change, in a test of the EU's global climate credentials. Spurred on by climate activist Greta Thunberg, a few hundred demonstrators demanded that the EU pushes through a bill to beef up the restoration of nature in the 27-nation bloc that was damaged during decades of industrial expansion. A counterdemonstration of farmers demanded a slower approach that would lessen the impact on their income. Inside the legislature in Strasbourg, France, parliamentarians put in last-minute efforts to sway Wednesday's vote, which could push a key part of the EU's biodiversity protection plans off the table. The legislature's environment committee last month was deadlocked at 44-44 on it. Recent events that indicate Earth's climate has entered uncharted territory The bill is a key part of the EU's vaunted European Green Deal that seeks to establish the world's most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate issues. The plans proposed by the EU's executive commission set binding restoration targets for specific habitats and species, with the aim by 2030 to cover at least 20% of the region's land and sea areas. "This is really a crunch moment, not only for Green Deal, but also whether Europe stands by its word," said Greens leader Terry Reintke. "Are we the ones that are talking and telling us what to do but not doing it ourselves?" Climate change keeps making wildfires and smoke worse. Scientists call it the 'new abnormal' The EU's executive commission wants the nature restoration law to be a key part of the system since it is necessary for the overall deal to have the maximum impact. Others say that if the EU fails on the nature restoration law, it would indicate an overall fatigue on climate issues. The bill long looked like a shoo-in as it gathered widespread support in member nations and was staunchly defended by the EU's executive commission and its president Ursula von der Leyen. But von der Leyen's own political group, the Christian Democrat European People's Party, turned sour on it and now vehemently opposes it, claiming it will affect food security and undermine the income of farmers and disgruntle a European population focused more on jobs and their wallets. Like some nations and leaders, they want to hit pause such far-reaching climate legislation. Bangladesh to get assistance on priority basis to deal with climate change impacts, natural disasters.: UN ASG Mami "For the next five years we have to care a lot about our industrial base. You have to care a lot about competitiveness in the European Union. So we have to manage the big changes needed in a way that we don't lose economic power," said EPP chief Manfred Weber. As the largest group, with 177 seats in the 705-seat legislature, its opposition has been key in turning the issue into a hot political debate. And on Tuesday few ventured to predict which way the vote would go. The member states have already agreed by a large majority to back a slightly more flexible version of the bill. If parliament backs the plan on Wednesday both institutions would sit down to broker a final layout in the second half of the year. The commission has said there is no reason to reject the plan now as too rigid, since there is still time for compromises on many of the issues. EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said the commission would show "openness to revisit and improve certain provisions and to enhance clarity, making sure the proposal reflects the current reality." If parliament rejects the plan Wednesday, it would be sent back to the drawing board and it's unlikely anything would emerge ahead of the June EU parliament elections next year. And that would undermine the EU's credibility abroad since it has put so much into its vaunted Green Deal. "This law is nothing less than the flagship initiative of the European Green Deal," Sinkevicius said. The Green Deal includes a wide range of measures, from reducing energy consumption to sharply cutting transportation emissions and reforming the EU's trading system for greenhouse gases. Beyond environmental protesters, hundreds of international scientists and even a large group of multinationals have called for the adoption of the EU's nature restoration law.  

The powerful lower house of Japan's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill to promote understanding of LGBTQ+ issues amid protests by activists that last-minute revisions by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's conservative party favored opponents of sexual equality instead of guaranteeing equal rights. The passage followed only a few hours of debate in a lower house committee last Friday, an unusually short period. The bill is expected to be approved quickly by parliament's upper house, which is also controlled by Kishida's governing bloc. Also Read: Japan aims to refocus its foreign aid on maritime and economic security and national interests Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations which does not have LGTBQ+ legal protections. Support for same-sex marriage and other rights has grown among the Japanese public, but opposition remains strong within the governing Liberal Democratic Party, known for conservative values and a reluctance to promote gender equality and sexual diversity. LGBTQ+ activists have increased their efforts to achieve an anti-discrimination law since a former Kishida aide said in February that he wouldn't want to live next to LGBTQ+ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriage were allowed. Also Read: Japan provides $500,000 to Cyclone-affected Rohingyas, host communities through IOM  The final version of the bill passed Tuesday states that "unjust discrimination" is unacceptable but doesn't clearly ban discrimination, apparently because some governing party lawmakers oppose transgender rights. Some party members said more consensus building is needed before anti-discrimination measures are introduced. The bill states that the public's understanding of various sexual orientations and gender identities is "not necessarily sufficient." It says conditions should be created so that "all citizens can live with peace of mind," which critics say shows the governing party prioritized the concerns of opponents of equal rights over the rights of sexual minorities. "We have sought the enactment of an anti-discrimination law," the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation said in a statement. "This bill does not focus on the people concerned, and instead focuses on the side that has discriminated against us and caused our suffering. It's the complete opposite of what we need." Also Read: Japan wants to understand what’s happening in Bangladesh and where it’s headed, BNP says as ambassador meets Fakhrul Recent surveys show a majority of Japanese back legalizing same-sex marriage and other protections. Support among the business community has rapidly increased. A court in Fukuoka in southern Japan ruled last Thursday that the lack of legal protections for LGTBQ+ people appears to be unconstitutional. It was the last of five court cases brought by 14 same-sex couples in 2019 that accused the government of violating their equality. Four of the courts ruled that current government policy is unconstitutional or nearly so, while a fifth said a ban on same-sex marriage was constitutional.

The Bank Deposit Insurance Bill (Amendment) 2023 was placed in Parliament on Sunday, aiming to double the amount of compensation of depositors. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The committee was asked to submit its report within one month. Also Read: No case for harassment to ensure fair, neutral polls: Law Minister tells JS As per the current law, a depositor gets the highest Tk 1 lakh as compensation within 90 days if any scheduled bank or financial institution goes into liquidation. The amended law proposed to increase this compensation from Tk 1 lakh to Tk 2 lakh. In Bangladesh, deposit insurance was introduced in August, 1984, while the amount of insurance coverage was Tk 60,000 which was later extended to Tk 1 lakh. Only banks were mentioned in the previous act, while in the proposed law, financial institutions have been newly included extending the limit for depositors of financial organisations. Besides, the Deposit Insurance Trust Fund (DITF) of Bangladesh Bank, a specific fund for depreciated depositors will be named as the “Deposit Safety Trust Fund.” Also Read: Bill placed in JS to allow maximum 3 members of a family in bank boards  The following type of money shall be deposited to the fund - (a) money received from insured banks as well as financial institutions; (b) income received from the bank wound up under section 7; (c) money received from the investment of money from the fund; and (d) money received from other sources. According to proposed Bill, the fund shall not be spent out except for payment of debt to the depositor creditor of the bank wound up. The proposed act suggested that the Bangladesh Bank can primarily restrict receiving deposits by the banks and financial organisations if they fail to pay insurance premium for consecutive two times. Moreover, the central bank will have the authority to shut or liquidate them if the same incident is repeated for the third time. Also Read: WB had brought false allegations against Bangladesh govt, PM tells JS After the order of liquidation of banks and financial organisations, the Bangladesh Bank will have to pay insurance money or Tk 2 lakh highest to the depositors from the Deposit Safety Trust Fund. Each depositor will get the same amount of repayment even if they had several accounts with the banks or financial organisations, the draft act stated. Deposit Insurance Systems is an institutional initiative to protect depositors against the loss of their deposits. All scheduled banks or commercial banks including the branches of foreign banks functioning in Bangladesh are insured by the Deposit Insurance Systems.    

The government on Thursday brought a bill in the parliament seeking to make major changes in the role of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority of the country  in exercise of financial and administrative powers and performance of functions. The bill titled "The Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (PPP) (amendment) Bill, 2023" was placed in the House by Liberation Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq who is in charge of Prime Minister Office in parliament. It was then sent to the respective committe for further scrutiny and send it back to the House within 30 days. The existing law states that PPP Authority shall be impartial and independent in exercise of financial and administrative powers and performance of functions. But in the proposed amendment the word ‘independent’ has been dropped. Also read: Bangladesh parliament opens special session to mark Golden Jubilee The Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, 2015 was enacted to create a partnership with private sector by attracting local and foreign investment aimed at improving living standard of the people and expediting the country's socioeconomic progress as well as building infrastructures. The amendment also proposed to allow vice-chairperson in absence of the chairperson of the PPP Authority to chair any meeting and the number of the meeting per year will be at least two. The bill also seeks to change the appointing authority of the PPP Authority from Board of Governors to the government.  

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University, Naogaon Bill, 2023 was passed in Parliament on Tuesday. Education Minister Dipu Moni moved the bill and it was passed by voice vote. The proposed university would be prototypes of other public universities. As per the bill, there will be a business incubator to make the university students entrepreneurs and give them all kind of assistance at preliminary stage. The university will also cooperate students or teachers to use their invention, intellectual property in processing, marketing, and its usage commercially. As per the bill, the disciplinary committee will propose the syndicate to take appropriate steps for resisting and preventing sexual harassment, violence and ragging. It said that the Chancellor, the President of the country, will appoint an eminent educationist in the vice-chancellor post for four years. But no one will be appointed as vice-chancellor for two terms. The chancellor will also appoint pro vice-chancellor for four years tenure, but not more than two terms. But for the treasurer post of the university, one needs to have at least 20 years of experience as teacher in any public university.    

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (amendment) Bill was placed in Parliament on Sunday, aiming to create scope for the government fix the prices of power and energy without public hearing. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid placed the Bill in the House and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The committee was asked to submit its report within five days. Earlier, Law minister Anisul Huq placed the “Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (amendment) Ordinance, 2022” in Parliament on Jan 5. President Abdul Hamid promulgated the ordinance on December 1 last amending the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act-2003. Also Read: DPP being reframed to build Turag and Keraniganj townships: Sharif Ahmed   The law ministry issued a gazette on December 1 on the amendment that allows government to adjust the prices of gas and electricity besides fuel oil. Previously, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources used to adjust the prices of fuel including diesel, octane, kerosene and petrol without any hearing but  the prices of gas and electricity were adjusted by the BERC through hearings. With the amendment of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act-2003, the power ministry will not require to hold a hearing to decide new prices for gas and electricity. The BERC is an autonomous body which was established based on the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Act 2003, aiming at improving power and energy infrastructure in Bangladesh. The law was amended thrice in the past. The Cabinet on November 28 approved an amendment to the BERC Ordinance 2022 to empower the government to set fuel tariff on its own under special circumstances without waiting for the commission’s public hearing and decision.  

Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) Bill 2023 was passed in the parliament today incorporating punishment for involvement in any irregularity in PSC exams. State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain moved the bill in the House and it was passed by voice vote. The maximum punishment for involvement in leaking questions of any PSC exam will be 10 years’ jail or financial penalty or both, according to the draft law. The bill will replace the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Ordinance, 1977 in line with a judgment of the High Court over the laws of military regimes. The maximum punishment for adopting unfair means in examination and engagement in answer sheet forgery would be two years’ jail or financial penalty or both. Also Read: Chunnu wants finance minister's view on reported corruption of MPs, WASA MD The penalty is the same for helping any examinee taking unfair mens in the exam hall, fake examinees and tampering with answer sheet. The penalty is one year of jail or financial penalty or both for creating obstacles in taking examinations and creating anarchy. As per the bill, apart from question paper leaks, other crimes will also be punished by mobile courts. There will be a public service commission to be called the Bangladesh Public Service Commission. The number of members of the Commission, including the Chairman, shall be not less than six nor more than 20. There will be a secretariat of the Commission where a secretary of the government will be appointed as the Commission Secretary.      

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry on Sunday placed its report on a bill that seeks to introduce a universal pension scheme focusing particularly on the country’s elderly population. Universal Pension Management Bill, 2022 was placed in the House by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on August 29.  It was then sent to the parliamentary watchdog on the finance ministry for further examination. The bill says all Bangladeshi nationals aged from 18 to 50 years can participate in this pension scheme. The expatriate Bangladeshis are also eligible to get the benefits. The Finance Division prepared the draft of the bill seeking to bring the growing elderly population under a sustainable social safety net. This will particularly benefit the elderly population when they become jobless or become afflicted with diseases, paralysis, old age or other similar conditions, or extreme poverty amid high life expectancy rate, according to the bill’s statement. Also Read: BERC (amendment) Ordinance placed in JS allowing adjustment of gas, electricity prices without public hearing It says a person will have to provide premium for at least 10 years to get pension from the age of 60 until the death. If an elderly person dies before the age of 75 years, the nominee will get the pension for the remaining time. However, the amount of premium will be determined by a rule under the proposed law. According to the proposed law, there will be a five-member national pension authority headed by a chairman and also a 15-member governing body with the finance minister as its chair. The government will appoint the chairman and the other four members. Finance Minister will be the chairman of the governing body where the other members will be the Bangladesh Bank governor, finance secretary, financial institutions division secretary, NBR chairman, social welfare secretary, secretary of woman and child affairs ministry, expatriate welfare and overseas employment secretary, labour and employment secretary, post and telecommunication division secretary, PMO secretary, BSEC chairman, FBCCI president, Bangladesh Employers Federation president, BWCCI president and the executive chairman. The governing body will hold at least three meetings each year. The main office of the authority will be in Dhaka and its branches can be established in any place of the country taking prior permission. The inclusion in this pension scheme will be voluntarily unless the government issues any gazette for making it compulsory. Committee chairman Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali placed the report.        

A bill seeking the admissibility of digital evidences during any court trial was placed in the Parliament on Wednesday. The ‘Evidence (Amendment) Bill, 2022’ incorporating the admissibility of digital evidences by the court was introduced by Law Minister Anisul Huq It was then sent to the relevant standing committee for further examination and submits its report within 30 days. The digital evidences will be accepted once the bill is passed into a law. Evidence, documents and such other things were coming online after the inception of digital or online trials of cases amid the Covid-19 pandemic. There is nothing directly mentioned about online or digital evidences in the existing Evidence Act. With the existing law, many legal complicacies might appear if any aggrieved person files a petition with the higher court, challenging the verdict of the lower court in case of acceptance of digital evidence or documents. In the draft law, a provision was kept for making forensic examination of digital evidence.  If the court thinks necessary or any party of the case doubts about the authenticity of such evidence, these can be gone through forensic examination. Read: Universal pension scheme bill placed in Parliament Sufficient laboratories are there in the country for forensic examination of digital evidence and BCC has also very high technology in this regard.  The government might spread the laboratories and technology to convenient places of the country for the sake of submission of digital evidence. The submission of false or manipulated evidence would be punished as per the laws concerned. If anyone twists (tampers) evidence, the persons will be dealt with as per the section 211 of the Penal Code or the section 57 of the Digital Act. The proposed law said that in a prosecution for an offence of rape or attempt to rape, no question can be asked in the cross-examination as to general immoral character or previous sexual behaviour of the victim. It also mentioned that such question can only be asked with the permission of the court necessary in the interest of justice.  According to the proposed law, digital record or electronic record means any record or information generated, prepared, sent, received or stored in magnetic, electro-magnetic, optical or micro films, computer memory, computer-generated microfiche including audio, video, DVD, CCTV footage, drone data and records from cell phone, hardware, software or any other digital device as defined in Digital Security Act, 2018.  Besides, finger, palm and iris impressions and digital footprints, signatures and certificates will also be admissible as evidence before a court.

The ‘Bangladesh Supreme Court Judges (Leave, Pension and Privileges) Bill, 2022’ was placed in Parliament on Tuesday with a provision of a monthly special allowance of Tk 70,000 for a retired chief justice. Law minister Anisul Huq placed the Bill and it was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the respective ministry for scrutiny. The committee was asked to return the report within 30 days. Also read:Bill to establish new hydrocarbons agency placed in JS The special allowance of will be given to meet expenses such as paying for domestic help, car diver, house guard and maintenance of office-cum-residence. The draft law was brought to formulate a law repealing an ordinance of the military regime as per a judgment of the High Court. The proposed law will replace the Supreme Court Judges (Leave, Pension and Privileges) Ordinance, 1982. It says the leave granted to a judge may, at his option, be either- leave on full salary; or leave on half salary; or leave partly on full salary and partly on half salary. For the purpose of this part, any period of leave on full salary shall be reckoned as double the period of leave on half salary. The aggregate amount of leave granted to a judge during the whole period of service as such shall not exceed, in terms of leave on half salary, thirty-six months.  The aggregate amount of leave on full salary granted to a Judge during his/her whole period of service as such shall not exceed one-twenty fourth of the period spent by him on actual service. The period of leave granted at any one time shall not exceed, in the case of leave on full salary. The monthly rate of leave salary payable to a judge while on leave on full salary shall be equal to the monthly rate of his salary. The monthly rate of leave salary payable to a Judge while on leave on half salary shall be equal to half the monthly rate of his salary. A judge shall be entitled to draw his leave salary in Bangladeshi currency only. Also read: JS selects 5-member panel of chairpersons A judge shall, on his retirement, resignation or removal, be paid a pension in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance if he or she has- completed not less than five years of service for pension and attained the retiring age; or completed not less than ten years of service for pension and, before attaining the retiring age, resigned; or completed not less than five years of service for pension and, before attaining the retiring age, either resigned, his resignation having been medically certified to be necessitated by ill health, or been removed for physical or mental incapacity. The chief justice will get Tk 4.50 lakh as injury gratuity and Tk 1.50 lakh for annual pension while amount for both is Tk 4.50 and Tk 1.40 lakh respectively for justice or additional justice. The chief justice will get Tk 5 lakh as family gratuity and Tk 1.40 lakh for annual pension while amount for both is Tk 4 and Tk 1.20 lakh respectively for justice or additional justice. The children of justices will get Tk 20,000 if the mother is not alive while Tk 12,000 if the mother is alive.