Deputy commissioners at their annual conference are likely to ask the government for authority to conduct 'summary trial' by executive magistrates besides operation of mobile courts to keep law and order under control.
They would also suggest setting up of a separate attorney service either under the Cabinet Division or under the public administration ministry to effectively defend the state in legal battles, a number of deputy commissioners said.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, is scheduled to inaugurate the three-day conference at the Prime Minister's Office today with law and order, price control, strengthening of the local government and land management high on the agenda.
Dhaka divisional commissioner along with deputy commissioners of Chittagong and Rajbari are expected to speak at the inaugural session on behalf of seven divisional commissioners and 64 deputy commissioners from across the country.
All working sessions will be held at the Cabinet Division in the secretariat.
'We will ask for an amendment to the code of criminal procedure so that executive magistrates can hold summary trials besides operating mobile courts to maintain order,' deputy commissioner of Dhaka Md Mohibul Haque told New Age on Monday.
He said that mobile courts could try a person summarily only when the accused confessed to their guilt.
After separation of the judiciary from the executive, the executive magistrates do not have the legal authority to hold summary trial in case an accused denies having committed the crime, said officials.
Mobile courts operate across the country to try scheduled offences, including food adulteration, stalking and acts of violence, that affect public life.
The district administrators would again raise the issue with the prime minister that they could not perform as expected and face difficulties in defending the state in many cases 'in fear of contempt of court' and also because of 'inefficient attorneys', said a number of deputy commissioners.
In their written recommendations, the deputy commissioners, who also hold the rank of district magistrate, have stressed the need for a separate attorney service to defend the state effectively and provide adequate logistic to mobile courts.
They have also suggested enforcing measures to contain prices of essential commodities.
'I have recommended expansion of city amenities as a growing number of people are coming to urban areas,' Gazipur deputy commissioner Md Kamal Uddin Talukder said.
The deputy commissioners have prepared a total of 320 recommendations to be discussed in 20 working sessions, according to officials at the Cabinet Division.
'The deputy commissioners' conference will focus on issues relating to law and order, price hike, land management and revenue collection, e-governance and strengthening of local government bodies,' cabinet secretary M Abdul Aziz said on Thursday.
He said the DCs would discuss area-specific problems and prospects with the ministers of 36 ministries for short- and long-term solutions.
The cabinet secretary said that a total of 289 decisions were made in the last conference of which 127 had been implemented immediately and the rest 162 were in progress.
The main objective of the conference was to expedite service delivery to the public, he added.
The deputy commissioners' conference 2011, the third after the Awami League-led government assumed office in January 2009, will also discuss ways to reclaim rivers and government lands from illegal occupation and implement the government's vision for a digital Bangladesh by 2021, said senior officials concerned.
In the previous conference held in July 25-27, 2010, deputy commissioners sought the authority to report on the activities of police officials under their respective jurisdictions to the government for better maintenance of law and order, which was later opposed by police.
The government is expected to give them directives to arrest price hike of essentials before Ramadan, expedite ADP implementation on a priority basis and use the internet for quick service delivery to the public, the officials concerned said.
Source : New Age
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