The cabinet yesterday approved in principle the draft of ‘The Bangladesh Tour Operators (Registration and Control Act), 2020’ to bring the domestic tour operators under regulation for conducting tour operations in a well-planned way for further development of the tourism industry.

The cabinet also approved in principle a draft named “The Bangladesh National Archives Act, 2020.”

The approval was given in a regular cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office yesterday morning.

Briefing newsmen at the Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said, “The cabinet today approved ‘The Bangladesh Tour Operators (Registration and Control Act), 2020,’ to bring the local tour operator under a legal framework aimed at operating the tours in a planned manner to ensure the best services to the tourists.”

In accordance with the proposed law, he said a touring company will have to obtain a license, “No company

will be allowed to arrange tours without having registration. It will be a punishable offence in case of violation of the law.”

He added that the proposed law also has a provision of handing over the registration to another tour operator in

case of death, physical and financial incapability.