Former Chief Justice and Chief Advisor of the caretaker government Habibur Rahman has criticized the “Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Bill, 2010” that was passed by the parliament on 3 October 2010. The law provides egalitarian authority to the government to take quick and effective actions for exploration, supply, distribution, transmission, transportation, and marketing of power and energy.

Justice Habibur Rahman spoke on this law at the launching of a report “The State of Governance in Bangladesh 2009”, published by Institute of Good Governance (IGS) of Brac University on 6 October 2010. His contention as reported by the press is that the law stands in the way of the people’s right to get justice from the judiciary. Referring to section 9 of the bill, Justice Rahman said that no question can be raised in the court about the legitimacy of measures, decisions, and actions taken under this law by the executive with regard to power and energy. Officials or employees acting in good faith to implement the law cannot be brought to justice.

This special law remains effective for two years unless extended or scrapped.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) concurred with Justice Rahman and expressed concern about the law in a statement on 4 October 2010. It called for its withdrawal in the interest of transparency and accountability of the power sector.

AI has serious issue with the political controversy surrounding the trial and pardon of these prisoners as it infers that some death row inmates may be denied valid pardons for political reasons. Furthermore, AI states that the death penalty violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As a result AI petitioned the President of Bangladesh to impose a moratorium on all executions in Bangladesh citing that it would be in line with a UN resolution that received majority support within the UN. These are attempts by AI to appeal to President Rahman based on his ability to garner international political support by bringing Bangladesh in line with AI’s belief that the death penalty, regardless of the reason, is cruel and inhuman. AI wants President Zillur Rahman to not only pardon and commute the sentences of current death row convicts, as well as impose a moratorium on future death sentences, but also re-open the investigation of the murder for which the original 20 prisoners were convicted.

The garments industry is the top earner in foreign exchanges and accounts for well over 75% of the total exports from Bangladesh. According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Bangladesh earned $12.59 billion from exports of garments during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The industry employs 3.5 million workers, the majority of which come from low-income families and rural areas.

The minimum wage that was fixed at the behest of the prime minister of Bangladesh did not satisfy the workers who demanded Tk.5,000. The workers went on a rampage through the streets in different parts of Dhaka City, Narayanganj, and Gazipur (three major centers of the garment industry) to protest against the announced minimum wage.

Garment Sramik Sangram Parishad (Garments Workers’ Movement Council) rejected the minimum wage and supported the workers demands. However the workers and their bargaining agents ultimately accepted the minimum wage that the government chose.