Cabinet approves the amended draft of Code of Civil Procedure

In this regard, the Cabinet in its weekly meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at Bangladesh Secretariat, gave approval to the draft of a proposal of the Law and Justice Ministry for bringing necessary amendment to the code procedure.

Briefing reporters after the meeting Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam said the draft proposed for amending subsection (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 89A of the Code of Civil Procedure Act to help the Legal Aid Officers (LAO) to resolve a dispute through mediation.

Under the new law, the cabinet secretary said, a court would have authority to send a legal suit to a Legal Aid Officer (LAO) for alternate solution before starting hearing of a case. The LAOs are assigned to give assistance to the litigants under Legal Aid Act-2000.

"The importance of the new act lies on the Legal Aid Act-2000 which provides opportunity to give legal assistance to the litigants through Legal Aid Officer (LAO). But under the existing 'Civil Procedure Act', a court cannot send a case file to LAO for arbitration," Shafiul Alam said.

The cabinet secretary said so far the LAOs could only provide the litigants legal and financial support in a case under CrPC. But they cannot deal with a case for alternate resolution. The new law would help them to resolve a dispute through mediation, he said.

Today's cabinet meeting also discussed a report on the problems of commercialization of the residential areas including setting up of restaurant, bar and unauthorized structure elsewhere in the city.

Local Government Division (LGD), Home Ministry, Internal Resources Division, Public Works Ministry and other ministries concerned have made this report after vigorous surveillance and inspection according to a decision of the cabinet taken on June 8, 2015.

The cabinet secretary said the committee recommended for ensuring the use of basement or underground floor of every building for car parking and conducting joint eviction drive of Rajuk and City Corporation in case of commercial use of the space.

Secondly, the committee recommended for cancelling the license of all bars in residential areas and not to issue any new license for bar in the residential areas. Home Ministry would take necessary steps in this regard.

Thirdly, the cabinet secretary said the committee proposed for eviction of all guest house and residential hotels in the residential areas, giving six month timeframe to the plot allotee. Rajuk and city corporations would work together to motivate people to regain the real character of the housing and commercial areas.

Fourth and finally the committee recommended that a joint drive will be enforced within three months to evict all illegal business and commercial establishments apart from cancellation of the trade license of the city corporation, disconnect the utility services and stop collection of VAT and taxes from those organizations.

Agreeing with the observation and recommendations, the cabinet has asked the organizations and agencies concerned to take necessary steps to execute the proposals of the committee with the support of the people, the cabinet secretary said.

The cabinet has decided to implement the recommendations with the support of the people instead of making them hostile, as livelihood of millions of people are linked with those businesses. So the government wants to make sure that no panic is created and none fall in trouble as far as one's livelihood is concerned, the cabinet secretary said adding that it's the philosophy of the government.