The Cabinet Tuesday approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) Act, 2021 keeping a provision of maximum 10-year jail or financial penalty for the involvement of question papers leakage in any PSC exams.
The approval came at the weekly cabinet meeting held virtually with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The premier joined the meeting from her official residence Ganabhaban, while her cabinet colleagues joined at Bangladesh Secretariat.
Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam briefed the newsmen about the outcome of the meeting at the Secretariat.
About PSC Act, 2021, he said it was an ordinance of 1977 and that is why it is being made a law following the judgment of the High Court.
He said, “It is a rule-based law where maximum issues will be dealt with the rule and a general provision has been laid down in the law.”
Mentioning that the draft law has 15 sections, he said since it is a rule-based law that is why all the procedures will be done through rules later.
The cabinet secretary said, “According to the article 8 of the draft law, those who are found involved in leaking the question paper of any examination to be conducted by Public Service Commission (PSC), they must face either highest 10-year imprisonment, financial punishment or both. Tough stance has been takenagainst the leak of question papers.”
He said the maximum punishment for adopting unfair means in examination and engagement in the answer paper’s forgery would be two-year jail or financial penalty or both. “Such crimes can be punished by the mobile court,” he added.
The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of the Zakat Fund Management Act, 2021 in order to motivate the people to provide Zakat to the government fund using the latest information technology, he said.
People can give their Zakat to the Government Zakat Fund through any scheduled bank, said the Cabinet Secretary, adding the proposed law was brought modifying the Zakat Fund Ordinance, 1982.
Besides, the meeting approved in principle the draft of Chattogram Shahi Jame Mosque Act, 2021 for the maintenance of the properties of the Mosque.
“If anyone is found engaged in irregularities over the properties and incomes of the mosques, he would face highest two years in jail or financial penalty or both,” said Khandker Anwarul Islam mentioning that the Shahi mosque has very valuable lands of 2.43 acres in Chattogram.
The draft law will replace the Chittagong Shahi Masjid Ordinance, 1986, he said.
In the meeting, the Prime Minister unveiled the cover of a book titled “Bangabandhur Roktorin” (Bangabandhu’s Blood Debt), published with the initiative of the Local Government Division, marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
