Govt okays amended ordinance

The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of Vested Property Return (Second Amendment) Ordinance-2012, extending time limit for submission of applications for claiming such property.
According to the draft ordinance, claimants of government-listed property will be able to lodge appeals in 300 days instead of 180 days from the issuance of a gazette notification of such property.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said many people still do not know about the government's decision and the gazettes in this regard have not reached many districts yet.
“So, the time [for submission of applications] has been extended,” he said, adding that a new ordinance would be promulgated shortly in this regard.
The meeting also approved the draft of Islamic-Arabic Affiliated University Act-2012 to bring Kamil- and Fazil-level Alia madrasas under the university.
The cabinet secretary said more than 1,900 Fazil and Kamil madrasas in the country will be run by the university in a manner similar to that of National University. Qawmi madrasas, however, will not come under the new university, he said.
Under the new act, the Islamic-Arabic University will prepare curriculums, conduct examinations, confer degrees and administer academic activities and training of madrasa teachers, which were earlier done by the Islamic University in Kushtia.
Musharraf said the government had taken the decision to set up the university to meet the demand of people related to madrasa education.
He added that the proposed university will improve the quality of madrasa education.
The University Grants Commission has prepared the draft in consultation with the education ministry and the organisations concerned.