The Cabinet Division on Monday approved a proposal to reconstitute the cabinet committee on reviewing the report on the Ninth Wage Board for journalists and employees working in newspapers and news agencies.
In its first meeting since being sworn in on January 7, the new cabinet also appointed Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader as the head of the seven-member committee, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said at a press briefing after the meeting, reported BSS.
The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Speaking to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday afternoon, the cabinet secretary said the other committee members are Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, Industries Minister Nurul Mazid Mahmud Humayun, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, and State Minister for Labour and Employment Munnujan Sufian.
The cabinet secretary said although the committee has been reconstituted, its terms of reference would remain the same.
If the committee cannot submit its report by January 28, the designated deadline, it can take more time, he added.
The cabinet on December 3 formed a five-member committee, headed by the then cultural affairs minister, to review the report on the Ninth Wage Board submitted to the government, proposing a new structure for salaries and other benefits for journalists and employees working in newspapers and news agencies.
Ministers for industries, home, information and labour were made members of the committee.
The committee had been asked to submit its report immediately as there was an obligation to publish the gazette on the wage board by January 28.
Following the December 3 meeting, the cabinet secretary had said the ninth wage board would be announced after review by the cabinet committee.
Cabinet clears president’s inaugural speech for parliament
At Monday’s meeting, the cabinet approved the draft speech to be delivered by President Abdul Hamid at the inaugural session of the 11th parliament, which will be held on January 30, reported UNB.
The 75,000-word speech will be placed in the House, but the president will read out a shorter, 6,000-word version, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters at the briefing.
The speech will focus on the country's economic development and activities, the measures taken to establish good governance, the activities undertaken to implement Vision 2021 and Vision 2041, and the government's measures and successes in improving the country's socio-economic status, the cabinet secretary added.
The cabinet also approved drafts of three bills – the Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Establishment (Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2018; the National Social Welfare Association Bill, 2018; and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Land Acquisition) Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
It also cleared the draft of the National Action Plan on Disability.