The Cabinet yesterday approved the draft of the Bangladesh Press Institute Bill 2018 bringing the activities of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) under the ambit of law, reports UNB. The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam said once the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) used to be run by a Resolution of 1976 and now it is being brought under the ambit of law.

Under the proposed law, the PIB will provide training to working journalists and public relations officers of different government agencies, he said.

Shaiful Alam said a 16-member Board of Directors will be formed for running the activities of the institute and it will honour the journalists for their contributions, he said.

The proposed law has defined the term 'journalist' under which all (who work on fulltime basis) editors, feature writers, assistant-editors, correspondents, reporters, copy writers, cartoonists, photographers or persons nominated by the government through gazette notifications will be considered as journalists, he said.

The Cabinet also approved the draft of 'Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Bill 2018 'with a provision of fine and jail term for defying BADC notices and damaging its property.

Under the proposed law, Shafiul Alam said a 16- member Board of Directors will be formed which will sit in a meeting after every three months. "If anyone (farmers) defies any notice issued by BADC he or she will be fined with Tk 10,000," he said.

Besides, if any boundary wall or any establishment of BADC is damaged, the responsible people will have to suffer six months' jail or will have to pay a fine of Tk 10,000; or both.

The same punishment will be given if anyone grabs land owned by BADC, he said.

Replying to a query over the proposal of introducing separate 'emergency lane' for movement of VIPs, police vehicles , ambulances and vehicles of other emergency services, the cabinet secretary said a request was sent from the Cabinet Division to Road Transport and Highways Division to consider the proposal as it is being practiced in many other

countries.