The Supreme Court (SC) has sent a proposal to the Law Ministry over the formation of Judicial Appointments Council to appoint judges for the higher court of the country. The proposal was sent to the ministry after conducting a detailed study on the laws, rules and regulations, customs and other related matters over the appointment of higher court judges in different countries, said a media release sent by the SC. The SC proposed the formation of the council headed by the Chief Justice which will make recommendations after receiving a request from the President to recommend suitable persons for appointment as judge of the Supreme Court. In many countries especially in the western ones there are independent and impartial commissions or similar institutions for the appointment of judges of the HC. The council has proposed issuance a public notice inviting applications from the candidates for sending recommendations for the appointment of judges under Articles 95 and 98 of the Constitution on the basis of a request by the President. Read: Ctg lawyers demand CMP commissioner's resignation over Adv Alif’s murder Besides, the council can call any person concerned to the council meeting to seek opinions or suggestions about candidates or can instruct any government and private organisation to provide information demanded by the council. Once the council is formed, transparency and accountability will be ensured in the appointment of judges of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, said the release.

A youth allegedly stabbed a tenth-grader after she refused his proposal of a relationship in Jhaudia Bazar area of the district town on Saturday afternoon. Police, however, detained a man, who allegedly assisted the youth in stabbing her, from the area at night. The victim girl, who has been undergoing treatment at a hospital, said one of the elder brothers of the locality named Ashraful Islam conveyed a message to her through a man to meet him at a restaurant after her tuition in the afternoon. “I found Rana, who proposed to me, at the restaurant where the elder brother had also been earlier,” she said. Rana locked into an altercation with her over the refusal of his proposal and stabbed her with sharp weapons when she finally cleared her stance about the relationship, the victim said from her hospital bed. Read: Khulna college student stabbed to death Dr Ashraful Alam, a residential medical officer of the hospital, said the body bore marks of injuries made by sharp weapons like blade or knife. Annur Jayed, officer-in-charge of Kushtia Islami University Police Station, said they have already detained the accomplice Ashraful from the area. Efforts are on to nab the main accused Rana and a process is underway to register a case, he added.        

The parliament has passed the finance bill 2022 with a surprise late change to the proposal on repatriation of money laundered abroad. The opportunity in the proposed budget to bring back both movable and immovable assets has been cancelled through an amendment on the Finance Bill-2022 by the members of parliament. Speaker of Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury chaired the session, and Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal brought these amendments to the proposed budget. Later the parliament passed the bill by voice vote. The finance minister accepted 17 amendment proposals on the finance bill at section 2-ka and 2-kha. The other amendment proposals were cancelled by voice vote. “Among the amendments brought in the proposed budget is that only smuggled cash can be brought into the country with 7 percent tax. Those who do not take this opportunity will be fined. The amount of the fine will be equal to the prescribed tax,” Kamal said in the parliament. READ: Parliament passes Finance Bill, allows whitening of undisclosed money The opportunity in the proposed budget to bring in movable and immovable assets has been cancelled. At the same time, amendments have been made to get corporate tax benefits at a lower rate. Companies that transact more than Tk36 lakh a year through banks will get the benefit of paying corporate tax at a lower rate. In the proposed budget this limit was Tk12 lakh. In addition, the obligation to file returns by adding e-TIN (Taxpayer's Identification Number) for all the services has also been waived. The return filing has been made mandatory only for individual taxpayers. Along with the finance bill 2-22, the parliament has also passed the national budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 of Tk678,064 crore, which was placed in the parliament on June 9. Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presented the budget titled “Return to the Path of Development; Leaving the Covid-19 Behind”. This is the fourth budget of the third consecutive term of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and also the overall 51st budget of the country. The budget kept the GDP growth target of 7.5 percent and the GDP size estimated at Tk44.50 lakh crore. The revenue target is set at Tk4.33 lakh crore, while the budget deficit is Tk2.42 lakh crore or 5.4 per cent of GDP. The average inflation in the budget was kept at 5.6 percent.  

A 3-day public hearing on the proposed gas tariff hike at retail level will begin on Monday. Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will hold the hearing at the BIAM Auditorium in the city from 10 am to 5 pm everyday on March 21-24 to listen to the arguments from the stakeholders in the gas sector. As per the schedule, the hearings on the proposals of the Petrobangla and Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) will be held on March 21, Sundarban Gas Company and Pashchimanchal Gas Company on March 22, Titas Gas and Bakhrabad Gas companies on March 23, Jalalabad Gas and  Karnaphuli Gas companies on March 24.   The state-owned transmission company and  6 other gas distribution companies submitted their final proposals to the energy regulator on January 25 seeking a 117 percent hike in gas price at retail level. Besides, their principal gas supplier Petrobangla also placed its proposal to raise the price of the natural gas at bulk level. As per the gas distributors’ proposals, the monthly gas price for a double burner will increase to Tk 2100 from existing Tk 975, while price for single burner will rise to Tk 2000 from current Tk 925. Petrobangla is the bulk supplier to the six downstream distribution companies. Following the submission of the proposals by the companies, a 5-member watchdog body scrutinized and set the schedule for the public hearing. READ: Further hike in gas price will come as a big blow to masses: speakers   As per the BERC Act, the commission will invite interested representatives from stakeholders in the gas sector to take part in the public hearing. After the conclusion of the hearing, the watchdog body will announce its decision within 90 days. Official sources said Petrobangla and its 7 subsidiary bodies submitted the proposals to raise gas price at the bulk and retail levels following the directive of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. For the last several months, the Energy Division has been under pressure from the Finance Ministry to collect more revenues by raising gas prices to offset subsidies in the energy sector. A member of the BERC said Petrobangla currently imports only 5 per cent of its daily consumption from a highly volatile international spot market where it has to buy gas at higher price. It imports its 20 per cent gas from two international companies under long-term contracts where price is static. “If the local production is raised by 5 per cent, then the country will not need to import the 5 per cent gas from volatile markets at a higher price and finally it would not have to raise the gas price at retail level,” he added. READ: Two die in Chuadanga after inhaling toxic gas inside septic tank Normally, the Petrobangla supplies 2,700-3,000, million cubic feet (mmcfd) gas per day of which 2,300 mmcfd is produced locally while 600 mmcfd is imported as liquefied natural gas LNG. Of this imported 600 mmcfd, 150 mmcfd is imported from spot market at a variable price between $10 and $30 per unit.

The National People's Party (NPP) on Wednesday took part in a discussion with President Abdul Hamid on the formation of the Election Commission.  A seven-member delegation led by the party's chairman Sheikh Salauddin Salu took part in the discussion held at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban. President's press secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB that the delegation submitted a five-point proposal including enactment of electoral law. READ: President's prescription: 'Boycott the corrupt' They recommended the formation of a search committee consisting of honest and experienced people.  They also called for the formation of an election commission consisting of honest, and non-partisan people believing in the spirit of the Liberation War and making the Election Commission independent and neutral.  The delegation also proposed the formation of an election-time government headed by the prime minister and comprising leaders of registered political parties believing in the spirit of the Liberation War in accordance with Article 56 of the Constitution. Welcoming the NPP delegation, the president said discussions and exchange of views with the political parties would help in forming an acceptable Election Commission.  He said that discussion and exchange of views play a fruitful role in resolving any issue in a democracy.  He thanked the political parties for giving their thoughtful views. Secretary to the President's Office Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary to the President Joynal Abedin were also present on the occasion. President Hamid opened the dialogue on formation of the next EC on December 20. The current EC is scheduled to end its five-year term in February. READ: President's activities on day 2 of visit to home district The country has now 39 registered political parties, according to the EC website and only nine of them have representation in Parliament. The nine parties are Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Ganoforum, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Jatiya Party-JP. A slew of parties including the BNP, in most people's minds the main opposition to the ruling party, have decided not to participate in the talks. In the past the president has appointed search committees to recommend names to him. 

The proposal to change the name of the newly established Sylhet Medical University to 'Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Medical University', after the wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been approved. Based on the application on November 28, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust approved it on Thursday. Earlier, Habibur Rahman Habib, MP for Sylhet-3 constituency, proposed to change the name of Sylhet Medical University to Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib in the parliament on September 16. On Oct 25, SMU vice-chancellor Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury also placed a proposal to rename the university in its third syndicate meeting and the syndicate members of the medical university gave their consent to the proposal. SMU VC Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury thanked the trust's president Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for giving this approval. He also extended his thankfulness to Foreign Minister Abdul Momen and Sylhet-3 constituency MP Habibur Rahman Habib.