Monday, November 7, 2022

বউ আপনাকে পিটালে কি করবেন?

 প্রশ্ন . আমার স্ত্রী আমাকে বিয়ের পর থেকেই অকথ্য নির্যাতন করে। সব সময় আমাকে টাকাপয়সার জন্য চাপ দেয়। আমার মা–বাবার সঙ্গে অত্যন্ত খারাপ আচরণ করে। সে আমার গায়েও অনেকবার হাত তুলেছে। সম্প্রতি সে এতটাই বেপরোয়া হয়ে উঠেছে যে, সে আমার মা–বাবার সামনে আমাকে মারধর করে। আমার মাকে মারতে উদ্যত হয়। একজন পুরুষ হয়ে আমি এই পরিস্থিতিতে আইনের দ্বারস্থ হতে পারি?

উত্তর: বাংলাদেশের সংবিধান অনুযায়ী প্রত্যেক নাগরিকের আইনের আশ্রয় পাওয়ার অধিকার আছে। নারী ও শিশু নির্যাতন আইন নারী ও শিশুদের সুরক্ষার জন্য একটি বিশেষ আইন। পুরুষদের জন্য কোনো বিশেষ আইন নেই। তবে আপনি যেকোনো ব্যক্তির দ্বারা শারীরিকভাবে নির্যাতিত হলে, দেশের অন্যান্য আইনে আপনার আশ্রয় গ্রহণ করার পরিপূর্ণ অধিকার আছে। যেকোনো মানুষের বিচার চাওয়া এবং বিচার পাওয়া একটি সাংবিধানিক অধিকার। কাজেই আপনি বিচার পাবেন না, এমনটি ভাবার কোনো কারণ নেই। যেহেতু আপনার স্ত্রীর দ্বারা আপনি শারীরিকভাবে নির্যাতিত হচ্ছেন, কাজেই আপনার উচিত হবে নিকটস্থ থানায় গিয়ে একটি সাধারণ ডায়েরি (জিডি) করা।

এ ছাড়া তাঁর কারণে পারিবারিক বা সামাজিক শান্তি–শৃঙ্খলা বিনষ্ট হওয়ায়, কোনো কলহ-বিবাদ তৈরির আশঙ্কা কিংবা বিরক্তিকর কোনো কাজের আশঙ্কা দেখা দিলে ফৌজদারি কার্যবিধির ১০৭ ধারা অনুযায়ী প্রতিকার চাইতে পারেন। দণ্ডবিধির ধারা ৩২৩–এ স্বেচ্ছাকৃতভাবে আঘাত দানের শাস্তির কথা বলা হয়েছে। এখানে বলা আছে, কেউ যদি স্বেচ্ছাকৃতভাবে আঘাত দান করে তার শাস্তি হবে ১ বছর পর্যন্ত কারাদণ্ড অথবা ১০০০ টাকা অর্থদণ্ড অথবা উভয় দণ্ড। আপনি চাইলে আপনার স্ত্রীর বিরুদ্ধে এসব আইনের অধীনে প্রতিকার চাইতে পারবেন

 

LIAISON OFFICE AND BRANCH OFFICE: DIFFERENCES

 

LIAISON OFFICE AND BRANCH OFFICE: DIFFERENCES

This week Your Advocate is Barrister Omar Khan Joy, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He is the head of the chambers of a renowned law firm, namely, ‘Legal Counsel’, which has expertise mainly in commercial law, corporate law, family law, employment and labor law, land law, banking law, constitutional law, criminal law, IPR and in conducting litigations before courts of different hierarchies. Our civil and criminal law experts from reputed law chambers will provide the legal summary advice.

Query
I have found your details from an article published in the Bangladeshi daily, the Daily Star. Your article helped us in deciding on a legal matter, which we would have otherwise taken to a lawyer. We have yet another query and we will be obliged if you may also publish your reply in the said newspaper. I represent a large multinational company having our head office in a European country. We are having some business relationship with some Bangladeshi companies for few years now and the same are only increasing. We are planning to have an official establishment in Bangladesh, preferably in Dhaka city. But, we do not want to do any direct business through the said office. Can you please advise us on the difference between a branch office and a liaison office under the Bangladeshi law?

Response
Thank you very much for your query. I am delighted to know that your company is willing to establish its office in Bangladesh. There are a good number of foreign offices that are maintaining either a liaison or a branch office in Bangladesh for many years and have not gone for incorporation of either a joint venture or a fully foreign owned company. This is largely your business decision. The basic distinction between a branch and a liaison/rep office is more or less the same in Bangladesh as in the other parts of the world. In short, a liaison office cannot do any money generating activity while the branch office can actually do business and earn profit like a company. For your better understanding, I take this opportunity to give you further brief explanation of the two.
Liaison Office: A Liaison Office is an establishment that is established under the Bangladesh Board of Investment (BOI) authority. The activities of a liaison office or representative office are ‘very restricted’. Such restrictions are imposed by the terms of the registration documents. Most commonly, liaison offices are not allowed to generate any income of its own and foreign remittance of USD 50,000/- for a year from parent company is imposed (as expenses for maintenance of the office). BOI may also impose a condition for inward remittance of USD 50,000/- within two months of its registration to meet the establishment cost and expenses for the first six months. BOI generally allows liaison offices to undertake market research, networking on behalf of parent company to expand business, assisting and coordinating between parent company and local agents etc. After getting the permission from the BOI to set up the liaison office, you need to take permission from the central bank, i.e. Bangladesh Bank and a security clearance from the Ministry of Home shall have to be obtained. Permission for the liaison office is generally granted for 3 years and needs to be extended thereafter in every 2 years.
Branch Office: A Branch Office of a foreign entity is also registered under BOI authority. In addition, it has to be also registered (certain documents to be filed) under the Companies Act with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (‘RJSCF’). Branch Office is allowed to undertake activities generating income or profit. However, such activities are generally restricted to some extent by BOI at the registration. Permission to open and continue a Branch Office is given for a specified time and needs to be renewed from time to time. In order to establish a branch office, the parent company will have to make an application to BOI with certain documents and thereafter file some documents with the RJSC. The Branch Office will be incorporated under the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Parent Company. The Branch Office’s activities, therefore, shall have to be within the purview of the said Memorandum of Association (“MOA”) and Articles of Association (“AOA”). The Name of the Branch office will have to be the same as the Parent Office. You may, however, indicate on the letterheads of the Branch Office that the entity has a Rep/Country office in Bangladesh and include its local address thereafter. Once the permission is obtained, you may proceed to open up a bank account and your nominated banker/legal adviser shall assist you to obtain Bangladesh Bank (central bank of Bangladesh) permission to operate a bank account with any scheduled bank in Bangladesh. The Branch office will thereafter obtain Trade License from the City Council, Tax Identification number from National Board of Revenue and security clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs. It shall also have to comply with any other requirement stipulated in the Registration letter. Prior to these, the Branch Office will have to enter into a contract to obtain a registered office address.
I hope that the above shall help you in having a primary understanding and help you to take your decision. Though I understand that one the previously published article has helped you to solve a legal query, I would still strongly advise you to take professional legal help while setting a branch/liaison office in Bangladesh. I welcome you and your organization to Bangladesh and hope that your office will be able to work smoothly once the same is set.