7yr jail for forgery in sending workers abroad

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presides over a weekly cabinet meeting at Secretariat in the capital on Monday. Photo: BSS

The cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of an overseas employment and migrant workers law with a provision of maximum seven-year jail and Tk 1 lakh in fine for forgery in sending workers abroad.

The approval came at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Murtuza Ahmed, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division, briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said the main objectives of the proposed law is to make the existing one (1982) more time befitting through ensuring transparency in overseas employment and accountability of the recruiting agencies.

The cabinet also approved the draft of the Bangla Academy Act 2013 bringing the new responsibilities of the academy under legal framework apart from making its existing law time-befitting one.

Murtaza said the existing law, ‘The Bengali Academy Ordinance 1978’, which was amended in 1983, is in English and the proposed law will be in Bangla.

Besides, the proposed law kept detailed provisions for running the activities of the academy, including formation of academy and appointment of its chairman.

Murtuza said the new responsibilities of the academy include ensuring standardised spelling method of Bangla, taking advices from experts in important academic matters and invitation of foreign writers and researchers to excel the language.

The cabinet members, advisers to the prime minister, and state ministers concerned attended the meeting. Secretaries concerned were also present.