Archive

          The cabinet Monday approved the Bangladesh Telecommunications (Amendment) Act 2006, providing for control on the use of mobile phone as a measure for breaking crime networks, reports UNB.
A meeting of the Cabinet in the Cabinet conference room of the Prime Minister's office gave the approval for amending the law with the phone-control pro vision.
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia presided over the meeting.
In the wake of violent crimes across the country, particularly countrywide simultaneous bombings by militants, the government has taken the move to prevent such syndicated criminal acts.
And the President recently promulgated an ordinance with a provision for tapping phones to check "the misuse of mobile phone for committing criminal act".
The Ordinance was promulgated on December 11, 2005 with immediate effect. It amended the Bangladesh Telecommunications (amendment) Act 2001, allowing the intelligence and law-enforcing agencies to tap telephone conversations of any individual.
Later the Ordinance was placed in Parliament on the first day of its 20th session on January 23.
But the government later found flaws in the Ordinance and felt the urgency for further amendment, as there was no punishable clause in it.
In Monday's meeting, the cabinet also endorsed the draft of the Court Reform Implementation (complementary provisions)(Amendment) Act 2006 for extending the timeframe for execution of the Court Reform Implementation Act 2004.
Furthermore, the cabinet approved the draft of the Chittagong Veterinary University Act 2006, upgrading Chittagong Government Veterinary College to a university for "creating and extending opportunities of higher education and research in veterinary science", said an official announcement.
It also gave the seal of approval to the draft of the Birth and Death Registration Act 2006 for amending the Birth and Death Registration Act 2004.
In yet another legislative business the council of ministers approved the National Social Welfare Policy to conduct social welfare activities in a "well-planned way" in the country.
Cabinet members and state ministers of ministries concerned attended the meeting. Besides the Cabinet secretary and the secretaries concerned were present.