Speakers at a workshop on Saturday emphasised the need for amending and modifying the existing labour laws in light of advancements in technology to safeguard workers' rights. They noted that while the current interim government has established six reform commissions on various issues, it has yet to form a labour reform commission, which is essential for protecting labor rights. The demand came from a workshop titled ‘Amendment of Bangladesh Labour Act 2006: Protection of Workers’ Rights’ held at a hotel in the capital. Participants highlighted that workers across various sectors continue to be deprived of their rightful entitlements. They said that labour laws are intended to protect the rights of both employers and workers, but workers are more likely to seek redress under these laws. Now there are 21,000 pending cases in labour courts, and the resolution of these cases is often delayed. The speakers demanded swift disposal of these cases. Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of BILS, moderated the workshop jointly organised by BILS and the Solidarity Centre.

Law Minister Anisul Huq has said the government remains vigilant to stop any misuse or abuse of the Digital Security Act (DSA), noting that some abuses are reported while implementing any new law in any country in the world. The issue of amendment to the law comes when there are abuses and the government is trying to plug in the places where there is scope of abuse and misuse, he said. "If there is a necessity for any amendment, we will do that," said the Law Minister. He, however, said bringing amendments to any law is a lengthy process and the government may go for shortening the process by introducing relevant rules. The Law Minister was speaking at a debate on DSA, moderated by Editors Guild President and Editor-in-Chief of Ekattor Television Mozammel Babu on Saturday. Minister Huq said a perception regarding the DSA has been created and the government is aware of it. He said the government is listening to all and trying to address the issues. “We are trying to solve the problem. Our ears are not closed.” After identifying certain cases of misuse and abuse through the DSA in 2019, the Law Minister said he tried to find out other countries where such laws exist and also contacted the Office of the UN Human Rights Commission. "We are still discussing the good practices,” he said, adding that he even sat with the Home Minister and decided that the journalists will not be arrested right away. The Law Minister said when a complaint is lodged, a cell will decide whether or not there is prima facie proof that an offence has been made under the law. The Law Minister referred to the law regarding punishment for making any kind of propaganda or campaign against liberation war, spirit of Liberation War, Father of the Nation, national anthem or national flag. “Was it necessary to protect? Yes, it was necessary,” he said, adding that it hurts him when someone says 30 lakh people did not sacrifice their lives during the Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971. “It (such distortion of settled history) does not just bring tears in my eyes, it seems to me that someone hit on my chest,” he added. The Law Minister also questioned those who made room for war criminals like Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid in the cabinet. Human rights activist advocate ZI Khan Panna, cultural personality Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu, Regional Director for ARTICLE 19 South Asia and Bangladesh Faruq Faisel, filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon, Prothom Alo joint editor Sohrab Hassan and journalist Syed Ishtiaque Reza, among others, spoke at the discussion.

Pharmaceutical experts Wednesday called for the amendment of the Bangladesh Patent Act 2022 in line with the changing scenario for the local pharmaceutical industry after the country's LDC graduation. Also, they advocated a close collaboration between the government agencies and the private sector in the process. The pharmaceutical experts made the call during the seminar "Preparedness of Pharmaceutical Sector for LDC Graduation" organised by the Support to Sustainable Graduation Project of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) in Dhaka Wednesday. At the event, Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman called for engaging lobbyist firms in the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the continuation of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver for Bangladesh after its graduation. He also emphasised the quick operationalisation of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) parks and called for immediate closure of the obsolete mailbox system, created in 2008 for patent application submission.   ERD Secretary Sharifa Khan called for a stronger partnership between the public and private sectors to prepare the pharmaceutical industry for the post-graduation phase.   Industries Secretary Zakia Sultana assured that the government would work in close collaboration with the private sector to amend the current patent law. Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) President Nazmul Hassan said the issues of affordability and public health should be taken into consideration while granting patents under the law of the country. Read: JS passes Bangladesh Patents Bill, 2022 BUILD Chair Nihad Kabir emphasised enhancing Bangladesh's legal expertise for the effective formulation and implementation of intellectual property rights-related provisions. Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rizwan Rahman said the government needs to set up a biotech park and a genome valley to facilitate biotechnological research. He also called for giving incentives to the pharmaceutical sector like the apparel sector. Senior Vice-President BAPI and Incepta Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Abdul Muktadir called for negotiation with the WTO for the extension of the TRIPS transition period related to pharmaceutical products for Bangladesh until January 1, 2033, even if the country graduates from the LDC status. Mohammad Towhidul Islam, professor of law at Dhaka University, said Bangladesh may request the WTO for a country-specific TRIPS waiver. The pharmaceutical sector of Bangladesh has witnessed exponential growth over the last few decades. The TRIPS waiver for LDCs under the TRIPS agreement is one of the key drivers of such impressive growth. So, appropriate measures following an action-oriented roadmap are critical to tapping these opportunities and shielding against the erosion of waivers under the TRIPS agreement in the wake of Bangladesh's LDC graduation in November 2026.

A bill titled Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (amendment) Bill 2022 was placed in Parliament on Monday. The Bill, which was placed by Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman, landed in the Parliament aiming to change names of two posts in the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The Bill was sent to the respective parliamentary standing committee. The committee was asked to submit its report within 30 days. Also read: Bill to establish new hydrocarbons agency placed in JSAccording to the Bill, there are two posts in the Commission named Finance Advisor and Secretary where the Public Administration Ministry posted deputy secretary ranked employees.As per s Cabinet Division directive on October 23, 2019 if there is any post called assistant secretary, deputy secretary, additional secretary and secretary in any office under any ministry or division, the name of the post has to be changed. Also read: Jatiya Muktijoddha Council Bill placed in parliamentThe bill states that the post of secretary will be named as working executive (admin) while finance advisor will be named as working executive (finance).

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of ‘Evidence (Amendment) Act, 2022’ incorporating the admissibility of digital evidences by the court. The approval came at the Cabinet’s meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who joined it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban. Other cabinet members were connected from the cabinet room of the Cabinet Division in Bangladesh Secretariat. “The digital evidences will be accepted from now as per the proposed law,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters after the meeting. Also read: Consider maximum cut in import VAT on edible oil: Cabinet directs NBR He said 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 about online or digital evidence in the existing Evidence Act, he said. 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, he said. 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,” said the Cabinet secretary. He said 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, he said. 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,” said the Cabinet Secretary. Besides, the Cabinet in principle approved the draft of ‘Bangladesh Supreme Court Judges (Leave, Pension and Privileges) Act, 2022’ with a provision of a monthly special allowance of Tk 70,000 for a retired judge. The special allowance will be given to meet expenses against different purposes like his domestic help, car diver, house guard and maintenance of office cum residence, said Anwarul. “The draft law was brought to formulate a law repealing an ordinance of the military regime as per a judgment of the high court,” he said. Also read: Under-14 children can’t be employed at work: Cabinet The proposed law will replace the Supreme Court Judges (Leave, Pension and Privileges) Ordinance, 1982. Besides, the Cabinet rejected another proposal to incorporate a provision in the draft law that the State would provide security to a retired chief justice till a certain period. It was argued that there is no such provision in other countries. “If the government thinks, it can provide such security to a retired chief justice with an executive order. So, the proposal was not agreed,” he said. The Cabinet gave the final approval to the draft of Abandoned Houses (Supplementary Provisions) Act, 2022 keeping a provision that the confiscated properties of a convicted war criminal would be treated as abandoned assets. The existing law is also an ordinance of 1985. Since it was promulgated during the military regime, the new law had to be brought as per the judgment of the High Court. “Few small changes were made here,” said the Cabinet secretary. “If anyone is convicted in a war criminal case and the court seizes his or her property, these will be considered as abandoned property under the proposed law,” he said. Besides, the final authority was given to the head of the government instead of the government in case of disposal of anything regarding high-valued buildings like those in Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi, he said. The draft law was placed to replace the Abandoned Buildings (Supplementary Provisions) Ordinance, 1985. The meeting also gave the final approval to the draft of ‘Zakat Fund Management Act, 2022’ to repeal an ordinance of the military regime. “As per the draft law, there would be a Zakat fund board under the supervision of Islamic Foundation to collect and distribute Zakat,” said the Cabinet secretary.

The country’s Company Act needs to be amended and modernized in line with the global perspective for sustainable financial growth, Commerce Ministry’s Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh said on Saturday. The Company Act was last amended in 1994 and it needs to be made time-befitting to adopt so many changes in the global economy and trading system, he said. The commerce secretary came up with remarks while addressing as the chief guest in the opening session at a workshop titled “Investigative Journalism on Company Reporting” held at ERF auditorium. Also read: Onion market to become stable soon: Commerce Secretary The program was jointly organised by Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) and Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF). The four-part workshop was chaired by Sharmeen Rinvy, ERF President,  Barrister Nihad Kabir, chairperson of BUILD (Business Initiative Leading Development) and former president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (MCCI), Shahidul Islam CFA, former president CFA Society Bangladesh, Shafiqul Alam, bureau chief of Agency France Press (AFP), among others, spoke in the function. ERF secretary SM Rashedul Islam Moderated the program. Tapan Kanti Ghosh said the government has taken initiative to amend the Company Law to make it inclusive  after reviewing various aspects of the economy. He said in the free market economy, it is the responsibility of the state to ensure fair prices of goods and services. Also read: Restaurant owners want reduction in VAT & NBR’s one-stop service The government is trying to do that along with creating a competitive environment for business and productions, the senior commerce secretary said. Barrister Nihad Kabir said there as problems have arisen with the passage of time the law need to be rectified.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was placed in Parliament on Tuesday to empower the BERC to make any change in tariff more than one time per financial year. 

A bill titled Electoral Rolls (Amendment) Bill 2020 extending the deadline for updating voter lists till March 2 instead of January 31 every year was passed in Parliament.