UNB

The Cabinet on Monday gave the final approval to the draft of the ‘Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill, 2016’ with a provision to form a council for the registration of professionals having degrees on nursing, midwifery and related professions.

The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the 24-member council would be formed with the Health and Family Welfare Secretary as its ex-officio head.

Like the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC), he said, the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council would give recognition to education, training and qualification of the nursing and midwifery professionals.

The proposed law has been formulated to replace the Bangladesh Nursing Ordinance, 1983, Shafiul Alam said adding that it was placed in more expanded form including midwifery as well as translating it into Bangla as per the earlier directives of the Supreme Court declaring illegal all the Martial Law regime ordinances.

Elaborating the salient features of the draft law, he said, any person willing to use his or her degrees on midwifery education and nursing like nursing diploma and postgraduate on nursing received from any institution at home and abroad must be recognised by the council.

As per the draft law, Shafiul Alam said, taking up the profession of nursing, midwifery and their related professions would be prohibited without registration with the council.

On violation of the law, the Cabinet Secretary said any one taking up the profession of nursing and midwifery without valid registration will have to face maximum three years of imprisonment or maximum Tk one lakh fine or both.

The registration of nurse, midwife or related professionals violating the specific rules and policies by their conduct will be cancelled and their names will be withdrawn from the council register.

He mentioned that any aggrieved person could appeal before the government through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare within 30 days of cancellation of the registration by the Council.

For giving false designation of nursing, midwifery and related profession, the person concerned will have to face maximum one year imprisonment or maximum Tk 50,000 fine.

The Cabinet meeting also approved in principle the draft of the ‘Civil Aviation Bill, 2016’ replacing the existing Civil Aviation Ordinance of 1960.

Since the promulgation of the Ordinance in 1960, Mohammad Shafiul Alam said, the civil aviation sector has witnessed massive changes over the period and there was a binding from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to update the necessary laws.

He said the new law considering the global perspective of the civil aviation sector has expanded the scope of the government for formulating rules like appointing security officials in fights, providing assistance to the victims and their family members in case of accidents, proper utilisation of the national carrier as civil aviation flights, economic development and control of civil aviation.

The Cabinet Secretary said if any foreign aircraft violates Bangladeshi airspace, then the persons responsible for the offence would have to undergo maximum seven years’ imprisonment or maximum Tk two crore as fine.

Besides, safety oversight responsibilities have been ensured in case of bringing any foreign aircraft on lease to Bangladesh or sending any Bangladeshi aircraft on lease to foreign countries.

He, however, said in case of operating flight in a risky way, the pilots concerned would have to undergo maximum five years of jail or fine of Tk one crore.

The Cabinet meeting also approved in principle the draft of the ‘Public Procurement (4th amendment) Bill, 2016’.

Ministers, State Ministers attended and secretaries concerned were present.