Law passed to modernise madrasa education

The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday passed two bills, one on modernising madrasa education and another on simplifying village court proceedings, and sent a third on establishing a maritime university for further scrutiny.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid proposed the passage of the “Islamic Arabic University Bill, 2013”, first placed in parliament in February 23.
The law, passed in voice vote, states that the university will be set up to prepare the curriculum, conduct exams and confer degrees of Fazil and Kamil level madrasa students and teachers. Islamic University in Kushtia has been performing these duties.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak, on the minister's behalf, proposed the passage of “The Village Court (Amendment) Bill, 2013”, first tabled in parliament in June 27 amid objections from opposition lawmakers.
The law, passed in voice vote, stipulates inclusion of a rule for increasing women representation in village courts and states that an appeal filed with a magistrate against a village court verdict must be disposed off within 30 days.
The law increases the amount of fine the courts can impose, from Tk 25,000 to Tk 75,000, and the penalty for contempt of court or non-compliance of order, from Tk 500 to Tk 1,000. It also states that people bringing false charges can be fined Tk 5,000.
The “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University, Bangladesh Bill 2013”, placed by the education minister earlier, was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry for further scrutiny.
A report will have to be placed in the House in 15 days. Once the bill is passed, the public university will be established in the Bangladesh Marine Academy campus to produce skilled manpower for the maritime sector.