Staff Correspondent, Dhaka The government has extended the term of the five-member investigation commission, formed to search for enforced disappearances, until June 30. A gazette regarding this was published by the Cabinet Division on Monday. The commission is chaired by retired Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury of the Supreme Court`s High Court Division. The other members include retired Justice Md Farid Ahmed Shibli of the High Court Division, human rights activist Noor Khan, Brac University teacher Nabila Idris, and human rights activist Sajjad Hossain. The commission has been formed to search for enforced disappearances, identify those affected, and determine the causes of their disappearance. Law enforcement agencies such as the police, RAB, BGB, CID, SB, DB, NSI, DGFI, and the Coast Guard will assist in the investigation. Regarding the commission’s responsibilities, it is stated that the commission will collect information about enforced disappearances from January 1, 2010, to August 5, 2024, and submit the findings and recommendations to the relevant authorities within 45 days.

Staff Correspondent, Dhaka Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Tuesday urged a reimagination of corporate roles in environmental protection, emphasising that safeguarding environmental rights is a collective responsibility involving governments, businesses, civil society and communities. Rizwana made the comment while delivering a speech virtually from Dhaka during the Opening Plenary of the Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia Conference, held in the morning at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, on the theme "The Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment: Redefining Corporate Engagement." She underscored the necessity of strong legal frameworks, stressing that while some countries recognize environmental rights through judicial interpretation, many still lack explicit constitutional provisions. "This must change," she said, adding that an overly anthropocentric approach risks neglecting biodiversity, and called for legal frameworks rooted in sustainable development, the precautionary principle, the polluter-pays principle and due diligence. Rizwana criticized the double standards in environmental regulations, pointing out how stringent conditions are imposed on developing countries’ exports while lax standards govern imports from developed nations. The adviser highlighted the shipbreaking industry`s hazardous waste transfers and the disparity in air pollution standards, saying: "The lungs of a Western citizen are no different from the lungs of a Bangladeshi citizen." Addressing corporate social responsibility (CSR), she argued that voluntary CSR principles are insufficient and should be legally binding to ensure true corporate accountability. Rizwana called on states to incorporate key environmental principles into enforceable laws, ensuring that businesses cannot sidestep responsibility. She stressed the need for laws ensuring public access to environmental information, citing that while some nations have Right to Information Acts, many exclude corporate environmental data, limiting communities’ ability to assess business impacts. She also urged governments to foster public participation in decision-making and protect environmental defenders rather than stifling activism under restrictive regulations. The adviser called for strengthening environmental tribunals and learning from successful legal models worldwide. She emphasized that corporate responsibility must begin with preventive action rather than damage control, advocating for compensation funds dedicated to ecological restoration. Warning against corporate "greenwashing", she urged governments, businesses and communities to ensure that sustainability certifications are credible. She also highlighted corporate control over media narratives, cautioning against misinformation that undermines environmental activism. "Children who grow up with environmental awareness will ensure corporate accountability," she said, asserting that neither governments nor corporations have the right to destroy nature. "If you cannot create an ocean, a forest, or a mountain, you have no right to destroy them."

Staff Correspondent, Dhaka The Gono Odhikar Parishad has demanded the resignation of Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, accusing them of compromising the interim government`s neutrality. During a press conference at its office in the capital`s Puran Paltan today (18 March), Gono Odhikar Parishad Vice President Faruk Hasan told media that they will announce strict measures involving all forces of the July uprising if the two advisers do not resign within the next 15 days. "This government is supposed to serve the people. But instead of implementing their expectations, it is selectively patronising a political party. This raises serious doubts and suspicions about its intentions," he said. "If this government does not implement the aspirations of the people, the people will also stand against this government", Faruk added. At the press briefing, Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan demanded that Awami League be banned as a party due to its involvement in mass killings of students and the public during the July uprising. During this time, he said the recent controversial WASA appointments must also be cancelled.

Staff Correspondent, Dhaka A court today (18 March) ordered to freeze 163 bank accounts of Nayeemul Islam Khan, former press secretary of the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, his wife Nasima Khan Monty, daughters Labiba Nayeem Khan, Julika Nayeem Khan and Adiva Nayeem Khan, over graft allegations. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order, allowing a plea from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC in its plea said it is probing allegations of making suspicious transactions of Tk765 crore, which was earned beyond known source of income, through those 163 bank accounts, money laundering, and amassing illegal wealth against the accused. The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard`s Google news channel "The ACC during its probe found information about suspicious transactions of crores of Taka through these accounts. The accused are allegedly trying to transfer or hand over the money to hinder the trial and that is why their accounts should be frozen," the plea added. The court on 25 February imposed a travel ban on Nayeemul Islam Khan and his family members. Top News Nayeemul Islam Khan / bank account freeze / Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Comments While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Staff Correspondent, Dhaka Journalist Shafik Rehman has regained the declaration of the daily Jai Jai Din newspaper. An official order signed by Dhaka District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner Tanvir Ahmed on Tuesday confirmed this information, reports Bangla Tribune. Nusrat Naushin, assistant commissioner and executive magistrate (Publication and Printing Branch) at the Dhaka District Administration Office, provided this update. Previously, the government had revoked the declaration of this national daily following an application by its former editor, Shafik Rehman, citing violations in its publication process. As per the official order, the newspaper was not being printed at the approved press designated for its publication, while false information was allegedly provided in the printer’s line. Upon receiving this complaint, a show-cause notice was issued, followed by necessary actions. Subsequently, upon verification of the allegations, the declaration or publication license of the newspaper was revoked. The order further said that the publication of Jai Jai Din violated Section 10 of the Printing Presses and Publications (Declaration and Registration) Act, 1973. Consequently, the declaration issued in the name of the newspaper’s publisher and printer, Saeed Hossain Chowdhury, was cancelled.