Cabinet approved 'Bangladesh Biodiversity Bill-2015'

Two other acts are- Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award Fund Act-2015 and Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship Trust Act-2015. Besides, the cabinet also approved the National Standard (goods and services) Policy in compliance with the requirement of the WTO.

The approval was given in the weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the proposed law highlighted biodiversity in the perspective of Bangladesh. As a signatory to the Conventional Biological Diversity of the UN, it was important for Bangladesh to frame the law to protect biodiversity.

Besides, according to the section 18 (a) of the constitution, it is the duty of the government to preserve bio diversity while Bangladesh has also accountability to preserve biodiversity, he said.

The Cabinet secretary said committees would be there to at national, district, upazila and union levels to oversee the implementation of the law, committees would be there.

Answering to a question, the Cabinet Secretary said that the law has kept provision of maximum five years imprisonment and Taka 10 lakh fine or both for violation of the law.

"The law would play a significant role in preserving the country's biodiversity if all the concerned stakeholders discharge their duties properly," he said.

The Cabinet also gave nod to the 'National Qualitative Standard (goods and services) Policy, 2015' to take effective the steps for upgrading BSTI and Bangladesh Accreditation Board to international standard, the cabinet secretary said.

He said detailed guideline remains in the policy for setting the standards of goods and services to be exported according to the guidelines of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The cabinet secretary said, under the policy people going from the services sector, professional groups like accountants, doctors, engineers to foreign countries would have to go through the accreditation process.

The draft policy has also been approved to ensure the required quality of various products including digital products like hardware and software as well as services being exported to foreign countries. European Union and NORAD have provided technical assistance for framing this policy, he said.

The Cabinet also gave final approval to the draft of 'Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship Trust Bill, 2015' to give a permanent shape to the Trust.

Shafiul Alam said that the Bangabandhu fellowship is being provided to those involved in science and technology research or higher education both at home and abroad since 2010 under a project.

Since the project is scheduled to be over next month, the draft law has been approved to maintain the continuity of the project and thus give a permanent shape to the Trust.

The Cabinet meeting also approved in principal the draft of 'Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award Fund Bill, 2015'.

About the draft law, Mohammad Shafiul Alam said that the law is already there as it was promulgated as an ordinance in 1976 during the Martial Law Regime. As per earlier directives of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, the Science and Technology Ministry placed the draft law before the Cabinet today to turn it as a law after translating it in Bangla.

Ministers and State Ministers in charge of different ministries and concerned secretaries were present.