Cabinet Okay Two Draft Bills and Two Draft SAARC Agreements

The approved bills are the 'Metro Rail Bill- 2014 and 'Public Private Partnership Bill-2014' while the draft of the agreements are- 'SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity)' and 'SAARC Regional Railways Agreement for SAARC Member States.

The approval was given at the weekly cabinet meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat here yesterday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain said the cabinet approved the draft of the 'Metro Rail Bill- 2014' to give legal framework to the overall activities including operations, control and regulations of the proposed metro rail.

Metro rail project is a priority project of the present government for introducing Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in the city, which will be implemented under Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.

The Metro Rail Bill proposed provision of Taka one crore fine and 10 years imprisonment for illegal operation of the metro rail or illegal handover of operating license. The law also proposed five-year imprisonment or Taka 50 thousand fines for obstructing running of the metro rail.

A public limited company named Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) will operate the metro rail while DMTCL will be supervised by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.

The Cabinet Secretary said that the proposed route of MRT Line-6 will be from Uttara (3rd phase) to Bangladesh Bank via Pallabi-Rokeya Sarani-Khamarbari-Farmgate-Hotel Sonargaon-Shahbagh-TSC-Doel Chattar- and Topkhana Road.

The law proposed for a committee for giving operating license of the MRT and fixing the fares, the cabinet secretary said adding Executive Director of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority will be the head of the committee.

The draft of the 'Public Private Partnership Bill-2014' was given nod to expedite economic development of the country through implementing big infrastructure projects under PPP basis, the cabinet secretary said.

The law will give the existing Policy and Strategy for PPP an effective legal shape, he said adding the law proposed that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will approve the PPP projects subject to final approval of the Prime Minister.

The law proposed for a PPP Advisory Council headed by the Prime Minister and Finance Minister as the Vice chairman. Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister will act as Member Secretary.

The objective of the 'Financial Reporting Bill-2014' is to improve the standard of the financial system to international level. The law proposed for a 10-member council to set up the standard and looking after other issues of financial reporting. The council would be selected through a search committee of financial experts headed by the Comptroller and Auditor General, the bill also proposed.

The cabinet also approved the 'SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity)' aimed at paving the way for enhancing cross border electricity trading among the neighbouring countries.

Musharraf Hossain said, the agreement is expected to be signed during the 18th SARRC Summit in Nepal's capital Katmandu on November 26-27 next.

The cabinet approved the draft of 'SAARC Regional Railways Agreement for SAARC Member States' which was recently finalized by the 5th Inter-governmental Group on Transport.

The cabinet secretary said the initiative for signing the agreement was taken in the 14th SAARC Summit. The draft proposed a number of railway links between Bangladesh- India-Pakistan, Bangladesh-Nepal- India and Bangladesh-Bhutan-India. This agreement is also likely to be signed during the upcoming SAARC Summit.

Cabinet members, state ministers in charge of different ministries and concerned secretaries attended the meeting.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)