The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft of Bank-Company (Amendment) Act, 2023 in a bid to check willful loan defaulters. Under the draft law, maximum three members (instead of existing four members) of a family will be allowed to be directors of a bank. The approval came from the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office here. Now the banking activities are run under the Bank-Company Act, 1991. Its amendment proposal was brought in order to make the law modern and time-befitting one, said Secretary (Coordination & Reforms) at the Cabinet Division Mahmudul Hossain Khan while briefing reporters at the secretariat after the meeting. “Those who are willful loan defaulters are defined and what actions will be taken against them are mentioned here,” he said. Talking about the actions, the secretary said the banks must send the list of willful loan defaulters to Bangladesh Bank and it can impose ban on going abroad,  issuance of trade license (against them), and registration under the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission and the Registrar of Joint Stock Company and Firm. Besides, a willful loan defaulter can’t be eligible to be a director of a bank or financial institution until five years passes after being excluded from the list of willful loan defaulters, he said. Read more: Cabinet clears draft family court act 2022 If any director of a bank becomes a willful loan defaulter, Bangladesh Bank can declare his post vacant, he added. The secretary said if a bank fails to send the list of loan defaulters to Bangladesh Bank in time, the bank can be fined Tk 50 lakh to Tk one crore. The bank will have to count additional Tk one lakh as fine for every each day delay, he said. “As per the existing law, the maximum four members of a family can be directors of any bank, but it has been reduced to three now,” he said. The bank directors and their family members must provide collaterals, bond or security for taking loans from the bank as per a new provision incorporated in the draft law. A provision was also included here so that Bangladesh Bank can regularly inspect different institutions and foundations run under the law, he added.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman has said he will play an active role in favour of the revised draft law of the Tobacco Control Act when it will be placed before the cabinet. "All parties will benefit if the law is passed quickly. The revised draft law will play an effective role in reducing tobacco use. This act needs to be passed quickly to make the initiative taken by the prime minister to protect public health a success," he added. The state minister was speaking at the seminar "Expectations to policymakers to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh before the year 2040" organised by Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP) in the capital Wednesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made a commitment to making Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040. She has also pledged to amend the Tobacco Control Act in line with the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The draft Tobacco Control Law Amendment Committee has been formed to further strengthen the Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act 2005 (amended in 2013). The final draft is now being reviewed by the cabinet. The six proposals to strengthen tobacco control laws put forward by DORP are the abolition of designated smoking areas in all public spaces and public transport; ban on tobacco companies' corporate social responsibility activities, display of tobacco products at sales points; ban on the import, production, consumption, and marketing of e-cigarettes or emerging heated tobacco products and increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on bidi and cigarette packs from 50 percent to 90 percent. Read more: Tobacco Control Act: BSOA wants quick approval of proposed amendment Enamur said that the six proposals attached in the revised draft are very timely and effective.  He said there will be a detailed discussion on the amended law in the cabinet. He hoped that everyone would give their opinion in favour of it. Also, founder and Chief Executive Officer of DORP AHM Noman said the government has taken some effective steps to prevent the spread of tobacco products. He hoped that the revised draft tobacco control law would be passed soon in line with the trend. Gaibandha-1 MP Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, Health Services Division Additional Secretary Kazi Zebunnessa Begum, National Tobacco Control Cell Coordinator Hossain Ali Khondoker, and DORP Executive Advisor Md Azhar Ali Talukder also spoke at the event. Read more: Campaigners demand quick amendment to tobacco control law

The Cabinet on Thursday approved in principle the draft of the Drugs Act, 2022 with harsher punishment for drugs related anomalies and offenses. Under the draft law, the punishment for such crimes will be  maximum 10-year jail with fine of Tk 10 lakh from maximum three-year jail  with fine of Tk two lakh fine in the existing law. The approval came from the Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who joined it through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganobhaban. Other cabinet members were connected from the Bangladesh Secretariat. Read: Cabinet clears draft law for private medical, dental colleges Briefing reporters, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said the highest punishment of 10-year imprisonment, Tk 10 lakh penalty or both was kept in several sections of the draft law. The offenses, for which the maximum punishment of 10-year jail and Tk 10 lakh fine were kept in the draft law, include producing or importing drugs without licenses; producing, importing, exporting, marketing, stocking, selling or showcasing drugs without registration; producing, selling, stocking or marketing adulterated drugs; and stealing and selling government’s drugs. Besides, the meeting gave the final endorsement to the draft of the State Acquisition and Tenancy (Amendment) Act, 2022 bringing a minor change in the existing law ease case backlog. There is a provision for a tribunal in the law. In the district level, assistant judge or senior assistance judge can be given the authority to settle the cases, while the district judge can act as the appeal authority until the formal tribunal is formed as per the draft law, he said adding that this minor amendment was brought. The Cabinet approved in principle the draft of the National Industry Policy, 2022 with a view to accelerating the economic progress of Bangladesh through industrialization with the balanced use of local raw materials and resources alongside cashing the facilities of the 4th industrial revolution. The meeting cleared the proposal for ratification of two agreements to be signed with Saudi Arabia and Serbia.   The deeds are the agreement between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters, and the agreement between Bangladesh and Serbia over Visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders.

The Cabinet on Monday approved an amendment to the British-era Evidence Act that will disallow questioning about a rape survivor’s character during court trial handing a key victory to the rights groups who find the provision insulting to victims.  The draft of Evidence (Amendment) Act, 2022 sailed through Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who joined it through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganobhaban. The proposed amendment seeks to restrict section 146(3) of the Evidence Act so victims cannot be asked “obnoxious questions” regarding their character without court’s permission, according to media briefing by Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam. Also read: Writ seeks cancellation of Evidence Act provisions on rape victims’ character “Some amendments were brought in the draft law as the digital court has been recognized,” he said. He said there is a tendency to question the character of victims by the opponent side. “In the draft law, there is a restriction on it. The permission will have to be taken from the court to raise questions over the character of anyone straightway,” he said. According to the proposed law, digital records will be accepted as evidence, he said, adding that data alongside information can also be used. The authorities concerned have been asked to translate the law (The Evidence Act, 1872) into Bangla immediately, he said. Besides, the Cabinet in principle approved the draft of Village Court (Amendment) Act, 2022 changing the provision to dispose of a case within 15 days instead of 30 days as well as incorporating the word ‘child’ in place of ‘Nabalok’ (minor child). As per the draft law, no child can be produced before the village court and the child will be defined as per the Children Act, said the top bureaucrat. He said the court can raise the maximum compensation of Tk 300,000, which was Tk 75,000 in the Children Act, 2013. The Cabinet also cleared the draft of Marine Fishing Guideline, 2022. The Cabinet directed the Fisheries Department to mark the marine fishing vessels with specific colour and number within four months as it would take time to bring all the vessels under the registration process. Khandker Islam said the number of marine fishing vessels might be more than 10,000. The Cabinet gave the final approval to Bangladesh Art-Design Act, 2022 aiming to protect the intellectual properties. The properties that go against ethics, public order and welfare of the people would not get the protection under the law, said Khandker Islam adding that unregistered arts or designs would not get protection as well. Also read: Female UP member ‘gang-raped’ in Faridpur, one held The meeting cleared the draft bilateral agreement over flight operation between Bangladesh and Rwanda. The meeting asked the authorities concerned to assess the economic aspects further before signing the agreement.