The Cabinet has given final approval to the draft of the ‘Sarkari Chakori Ain, 2018’ providing for recruitment in the public service based on merit and open competition.

The approval was given in the weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Md. Shafiul Alam said the new law has been framed amalgamating six existing laws.

“All important aspects of the previous laws were brought together in the new law,” he said adding that the new law will replace the six existing laws.

The laws are-Public Service Retirement Act, Services Reorganization Act, Public Service Special Provision Ordinance, 1979, Punctual Attendance Act 1982, Dismissal and Conviction Act 1985, Surplus Government Employees Accommodation Act.

According to the new law, a government employee would get promotion based on merit, competence, seniority, training and satisfactory services.

Under the law, a government employee can be arrested before issuance of charge sheet in any criminal case only after necessary approval of the concerned authorities.

As per law, the age limit for entry in the public service would be determined by the rules. The highest age limit of an employee for government job would be 59 years and 60 years for freedom fighters.

The cabinet also gave final approval to the draft of the Infectious Diseases (prevention, control and eradication) Act, 2018 identifying 23 diseases as infectious.

According to the law, the government by issuing gazette notification can declare any newly emerging or reemerging diseases infectious giving duties to the health department for their prevention, control and eradication.

The law proposed constituting a 13-member advisory committee headed by the health minister for monitoring the activities of the health department.

So far the the infectious diseases in Bangladesh were being controlled by two laws- the Bangladesh Malaria Eradication Board Repeal Ordinance, 1977 and the Prevention Malaria Special Provision Ordinance, 1978.

The draft of the new law has been framed in light of the emergence of new infectious diseases to protect the people from the diseases, issue alert about the outbreak of the diseases, enhance capacity for risk management, educate people and acquire global standard adaptation according to the WHO guidelines.

The law proposed different terms of imprisonment as well as penalty for concealing or giving wrong information about any infectious disease.

The cabinet in today’s meeting also approved in principal the draft of the “Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Construction (control)( amendment) Act, 2018 and draft of the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

At the beginning of the meeting, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroj Chumki handed over two certificates of accolade to the Prime Minister. UNICEF conferred the accolades on Bangladesh on July 31 last for success in abating child marriage.

The Cabinet also adopted obituary references expressing profound shock at the death of eight eminent persons.

They are former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Chief Whip of the Opposition Party in the Parliament Tajul Islam Chowdhury, former Cabinet Secretary Ayubur Rahman, noted journalist Golam Sarwar, former Chief Information Commissioner Mohammed Farooq, Tax Advisor of the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Employment Bank Advocate M Moniruzzaman Khandakar and Independence Award laureate artiste Bazlur Rahman Badal.