Bills to enrich museums, zoos get cabinet nod

The cabinet on Monday approved the drafts of three bills, including Bangladesh National Museum Bill, 2021 and Bangladesh Zoo Bill, 2021 to enrich collections of country’s museums and zoos and make them vibrant.

The approval came from the virtual cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who joined it from Ganabhaban. Others concerned attended the meeting from the Cabinet Room of the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The meeting gave the final approval to the draft of the Bangladesh National Museum Bill, 2021 to replace an ordinance of the 1980s, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam at a press briefing.

He said the highest punishment of museum-related crimes is 10 years’ jail, Tk 10 lakh fine or both in the proposed law which would be effective for other museums alongside the National Museum.

The Cabinet approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Zoo Bill, 2021 to modernise the animal collection, rearing and conservation processes as well as the management of zoos.

If any visitor does not pay the entry fee at any zoo, the punishment would highest two months’ jail, maximum Tk 1000 fine or both, said Khandker Anwarul Islam.

The cabinet also directed the authorities concerned to incorporate a fresh provision in the proposed law keeping punishment for harming zoo animals.

The meeting also approved in principle the draft of the Government Primary School Teacher Welfare Trust Bill, 2021 to replace an ordinance of 1985.

If any teacher gets registered under the law and pays its fees, his or her family will get benefits from the trust fund, said the Cabinet Secretary.

In the case of the death of any teacher (member of the trust), his or her minor children will get their educational expenses from the welfare trust until they become adults, according to a new provision included in the proposed law, he said.

Besides, the Cabinet cleared a proposal for observing every 6th October as the National Birth and Death Registration Day in order to promote the death registration as well.

He said there is also a target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for enhancing both birth and death registration rates at 80 percent by 2030. But Bangladesh would be able to attain the target before 2030, said Anwarul Islam.