Cabinet nods draft laws for setting up two more specialised universities

The cabinet today gave final approval to the drafts of two separate laws for setting up a science and technology university in Chandpur and an agriculture university in Habiganj at a regular weekly meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

"The drafts of 'Chandpur Science and Technology University Act, 2019' and 'The Habiganj Agriculture University Act, 2019,' were given approval at the meeting," said Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam while briefing the media at the Secretariat this afternoon.

He said it also approved in principle the draft of "Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board Act, 2019".

The cabinet meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) here this morning.

The universities would be like any other university, said Anwarul, adding that with starting operation of the two universities, the number of public universities will be 48 in the country.

The President will be the Chancellor of the university and a syndicate will be formed. Vice-chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Treasurer will be appointed in accordance with the law.

Regarding approval of the draft of the "Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board Act, 2019″, the cabinet secretary said, " The cabinet approved the draft law with making some amendments to the existing Madrasah Education Ordinance, 1978 to make it time-befitting in line with the Supreme Court order that declared all the military period laws illegal.

Anwarul Islam said the cabinet also approved a proposal for setting up an office of the Consulate General in Florida of the USA in addition to the existing two consulate offices in New York and the embassy in Washington.

He said the new consulate office will be set up considering the diplomatic interest of the country and Bangladesh's strong partnership with the USA.

Besides, the consulate will be very important to provide services to over 40,000 expatriate Bangladeshis living in Florida, he added.

The cabinet Secretary added that the office of the consulate general will play vital role in strengthening diplomatic ties of Bangladesh with the USA and other countries of the world as the most of the countries have consulate offices there.

The cabinet was also apprised of the Prime Minister's visit to Dubai from November 16-19 to join the Dubai Air Show-2019.

Meanwhile, the cabinet today greeted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her reelection as the president of the ruling Awami League and ranked 29th in this year's the US-based business magazine Forbes list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

It also adopted obituary references at the deaths of the founder of the world's largest non-government development organisation BRAC Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, former chief justice Mahmudul Amin Choudhury and PM's military secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin.