The cabinet on Monday approved the drafts of three bills, including Bangladesh National Museum Bill, 2021 and Bangladesh Zoo Bill, 2021 to make the country’s museums dynamic and 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 for 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 enter any zoo not paying entry fee, the punishment would highest two months’ jail, maximum Tk 1,000 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.
In the past, the 6th October was observed as only the Birth Registration Day. “This proposal has been brought as we need death registration in many cases like birth registration,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
According to the Clause-8 of the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004, it is mandatory to register birth or death within the subsequent 45 days. “So, they (the authorities concerned) want to observe the day to make it (the birth and death registration) more effective, promote common people and workers (engaged in registration services) and make them more conscious over it,” he said.
He said there is also a target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for enhancing both birth and death registration rates at 80 per cent by 2030. But Bangladesh would be able to attain the target before 2030, said Anwarul Islam.
Replying to a question over the rationale behind the decision to allow 50 per cent public transport on the streets from August 11, the Cabinet Secretary said the decision was taken to prevent a larger number of transport vehicles at a time from entering Dhaka and Chattogram cities.
He said the decision came as per a suggestion from a law enforcement agency. The local administration, including DC and SP at district level, will sit with transport owners and worker leaders to take the decision for allowing 50 per cent vehicles alternately, he said.
The permission for opening the recreation centres or mass gatherings has not been given yet, said the Cabinet Secretary.
