Draft law okayed penalising strike in essential sectors

The cabinet on Monday gave its approval to a draft of “Essential Services Act, 2022” that penalises illegal hartal or strike in essential service sectors including transport and fuel.

The draft law, which includes a provision of maximum one year in jail or a minimum of Tk 50,000 fine for the illegal hartals, was approved at a regular weekly cabinet meeting at the secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The draft law has newly identified information technology, digital financial services, gas-coal and communication as essential service sectors, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam briefed journalists after the meeting.

Passenger or goods services by land, water, rail and air will also be counted as essential services, under the draft law. The government, however, has the power to add other services as essential in the future if necessary for six months.

The cabinet secretary said the draft law also vest the government with powers to restrict workers in certain jobs from leaving specific areas and banning strikes, lockdowns or layoffs if deemed unjustified.

He said “If the owner of an establishment starts to layoff illegally, they can be imprisoned for up to six months and fined up to Tk 1 lakh or both.

“If anyone provokes [such acts], they will get the same punishment specified for the original offence. Departmental action can also be taken if it is a government office.”

The cabinet also gave in-principle approval to a draft of the Balumohal (sand quarry) and Soil Management (Amendment) Act, 2022 to stop the indiscriminate sand-lifting.

“As per the draft, the Balumohal cannot be leased out for more than one year,” said Khandker Anwarul adding that the maximum punishment for the offense is two-year imprisonment, Tk 10 lakh as fine or both under the law.

He said now the deputy commissioners and the land ministry will have to take requisition from either the Water Development Board or the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority for every Balumohal.

Moreover, the cabinet revised the office hours for all government and autonomous institutions two months after the government fixed a new schedule enforced to tackle the energy crisis.

The revised office hours — 9:00am to 4:00pm — will take effect from November 15, said the cabinet secretary. At present the office hour is set from 8.00am to 3.00pm.

The cabinet on the day also approved a proposal to continue the ban on cutting trees in the reserved and natural forests until 2030 aiming to protect the country’s biodiversity. The ban, originally set to end this year, was initially imposed in 2016.

Besides, the cabinet approved the draft of the National Adaptation Plan (2023-2030) in order to cope with the adversities of climate change.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting urged all to keep everyone’s house clean, especially to stop accumulation of the water in and outside of their houses.

Referring to the premiers, Khandker Anwarul said the city corporations and others concerned, especially the civil aviation, have been directed to intensify their anti-mosquito spray through fogging machines every day.