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Published on June 30, 2014
The law proposed for maximum life-term imprisonment and fine of Taka 20 lakh for production, import, transport, stocking, sale and use of formalin without license.
A license holder, for violation of the terms and conditions of the license, will get maximum seven years of imprisonment or pay fine of taka five lakh or both, the law proposed.
The cabinet in its regular weekly meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair gave approval to the law.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said, the draft is likely to be placed in the current session of the parliament for passage.
The draft has been prepared accommodating the suggestions of the scientists, experts and other stakeholders and inter- ministerial meetings, he said.
"The objective of the law is not to impose any ban on use of formalin, but its regulation. The law suggested tougher punishment to regulate its production, import, transport, stock, sale and use without license," the cabinet secretary said.
He said, the law also kept a provision of maximum 10 years imprisonment or fine of Taka 20 lakh for possessing equipment of formalin productions. Maximum seven years imprisonment or fine of Taka five lakh has also been proposed for illegal storage of formalin in house, office, business establishments or in vehicles.
"Offenses under the law would be cognizable and non- bailable. Mobile courts will have power to execute the law.
The cabinet secretary said, for proper implementation of the law, formalin control committees would be constituted in every district and upazila.
The Cabinet meeting gave final approval to the 'Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute Bill, 2014' aimed at giving a legal shape to the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute at Ramu in Cox's Bazar.
The Cabinet Secretary said the institute would be an autonomous body, to have an 18-member Board of Directors headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
He said the proposed law will play a significant role in extraction of the country's marine resources and ensuring its proper use. Under the law, the government would formulate rules while the institute will be able to frame regulations with prior approval of the government.
The Cabinet meeting has given approval in principle to three new laws to replace three previous ones on services conditions, discipline and punctuality and punishment of the government employees.
The three laws- 'Government Servants (Special Provision) Ordinance, 1979', 'The Public Servants (Dismissal of conviction) Ordinance, 1985' and 'The Public Employees Discipline (On punctual attendance) Ordinance, 1982' were promulgated during the military regimes.
But the ordinances were declared null and void by the Supreme Court in 2010.
As the three laws are of same nature, the Cabinet asked the Ministry of Public Administration to frame a new law integrating and valuating the three laws.
-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
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