Tuesday, April 30, 2024
The Cabinet on Wednesday, in principle, approved the draft Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority Act, 2024. This act aims to expedite the implementation of various projects, including mega schemes, in Maheshkhali and thus transform it into an industrial and commercial area.
The approval came from the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in Dhaka.
Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said the proposed law was placed in the meeting by the Prime Minister's Office at a press briefing in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
"Under the law, an authority will be formed, and there will be a 17-member governing board headed by a chairman. The Finance Minister and several other ministers will be on the board," he said.
He said the authority's main task will be designing and implementing a master plan in the designated area. "The main objective will be to attract foreign investment," he added.
"There will be 55,968 acres of land in the entire economic zone," said the cabinet secretary.
Besides, the cabinet gave the final approval to the draft Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Remuneration and Privileges) Act, 2024, to enact a law in place of the existing ordinance of 1983.
"No change was made in the draft law. The remuneration and privileges-related provisions, which were given earlier (in the existing ordinance), have been kept here as well," said the cabinet secretary.
Now, CEC enjoys the same privileges as a justice of the Appellate Division, while election commissioners get the same privileges as the justices of the High Court Division.
