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Published on July 7, 2014
The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the proposed law was drafted keeping consistency with the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2013 along with maintaining all the existing extra facilities of the workers employed in the EPZs.
He said the cabinet endorsed the draft after a detailed discussion on the proposed law. "The proposed law has been prepared in consultation with all stake holders, including the owners of the industries located at the EPZs," he added.
The cabinet secretary said the necessity of the law has arisen as there is no law for the workers of the EPZs at present. "Their services are now regulated by two sets of guidelines," he said.
Against this backdrop, the proposed law has been drafted as a clear and comprehensive law to ensure various facilities to the workers, including their wages and its payment, working hours and leave, security, working environment, protection of their health and rights of compensation in case of injury.
Bhuiyan said the name of the workers organization in the EPZs would be the "The Workers' Welfare Association".
The cabinet secretary said the cabinet also okayed in principle "The Export Promotion Bureau Law, 2014" subject to the vetting of the Law Ministry with minor addition to the existing ordinance.
The changes are the provision of four meetings of the EPB Board in a year instead of one meeting per month and inclusion of two new members --one from Forest and Environment Ministry and another from ICT Ministry in the EPB Board.
The cabinet also gave the final nod to the draft of "The Bangladesh Nuclear Energy Control (Amendment) Act, 2014" subject to the vetting of the Law Ministry relaxing the qualifications of the chairman and members of Nuclear Energy Control Authority. Besides, the cabinet was apprised of the participation of a Bangladesh delegation in the 103rd International Labour Conference held in Geneva from May 28 to June 12 and the participation of the Bangladesh foreign minister in an international seminar on prevention of genocide held in Brussels from March 31 to April 2.
Ministers and state minister concerned attended the meeting, while concerned secretaries were present.
-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
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