CAB calls for enforcing laws to protect public health

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) today called upon the government to make effective the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009 and Safe Food Act-2013 as early as possible in the country to protect the public health.
It also emphasized on curbing the prices of essential commodities and strengthening the anti-adulteration drives in the country.
CAB made the call to the government at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at its office on Saturday in the city, said a press release.
CAB chairman Ghulam Rahman chaired the meeting while general secretary Advocate Humayyun Kabir Bhuiyan placed its detailed work and Treasurer Abdus Sattar gave financial statement of the last two years.
The AGM also elected its nine-member executive body for the next two years (2015-17).
Ghulam Rahman, former chairman of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), has been reelected CAB chairman while Advocate Humayyun Kabir Bhuiyan as general secretary.
Other office bearers are, Treasurer- Abdus Sattar and members - Captain (retd) Khandker Habib-e-Rabbani, S M Nazer Hossain, Iqbal Masud, M Mosabber Hossain and Dr Shahnewaz Chowdhury.

---(BSS) DHAKA, March 15, 2015  - 

Govt. to formulate law stopping housing on farmland: Mosharraf

Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain today said the government is mulling over formulating a law to stop housing on arable lands.

"The government is constructing planned housing on non-arable lands. But, the people especially the rich men are building houses and factories on arable lands haphazardly . . . So, the agriculture ministry has been requested to formulate the law to save the farmlands," he added.
The minister revealed the plan at a dialogue organized by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters' Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat Media Centre here.
Engineer Mosharraf said the government is determined to build the Purbachal Housing project as a planned residential area.
"No commercial establishments would be allowed in the residential areas of Purbachal. We've kept separate space for shops, offices, educational institutions and playgrounds there," he added,
The minister said, "If needs law would be formulated to bar those in the residential areas."
He informed that all new projects would have more apartments than the number of plots. The minister said bakery and grocery shops as well as commercial places like guesthouses and hotels have been established in city's most of the residential areas especially Gulshan, which is not acceptable.

He said since many years a good number of guesthouses and hotels like Lakeshore and Six Seasons have been constructed in Gulshan, which is totally illegal, and the government high up has to take necessary measures against this.
"The ministry has discussed the issues with RAJUK to find out ways to address it," Mosharraf added.
Urging the city dwellers to follow the RAJUK's plan while constructing any structure in the city, he said: "RAJUK in its plan suggests the owners to construct building at least 5 feet away from the footpath, but the owners do it adjacent to the footpath defying the RAJUK plan. . . When RAJUK moves to bulldoze those, owners go to court."
The minister sought cooperation from the owners to beautify the city.

About the government's process of relocating the Secretariat beside the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), Mosharraf said they have completed the design and work would be started immediately after getting fund.
"The new secretariat building will be green with separate accommodation for each ministry and there will be a plenty of parking space," he added. 

---DHAKA, March 15, 2015 (BSS)-

Twaqi, 7-murder charge sheet to be submitted soon : Asaduzzaman

State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan today said charge sheets of seven and Tanveer Mohammad Twaqi murder cases would be submitted to the courts soon.

"Legal procedure to bring back soon the prime suspect of Narayanganj 7-murder Noor Hossain from India is being accelerated," he told the journalists while handing over two harbour patrol boats to the coast guard officials at Sonakanda Dockyard here.

The state minister said the newly-built patrol boats would be used to ensure security at port, harbour and coastal areas along with carrying out disaster-time relief works in coastal areas.

"The newly added harbour patrol boats would strengthen the capacity of the force and stop piracy and smuggling," Asaduzzaman said.

He said the Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited built the harbor patrol boats for the Coast Guard to improve law and order in the maritime boundary as well as ensure security to people who are living in coastal areas.

Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Coast Guard Rear Admiral M Makbul Hossain, Managing Director of Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited, Deputy Commissioner of Narayangaj, Superintendent of Police and officials of home ministry and Bangladesh Navy were present.

The harbour patrol boats would be named as CG Boleshwar and CG Tentulia. 

---(BSS) NARAYANGANJ, March 15, 2015  -