News Watch (23-01-2018)

JS passes seed quality control bill

Parliament passed Monday 'The Seeds Bill 2018' to make the existing law more time-befitting one in maintaining quality of seeds. Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury moved the Bill in the House and it was passed by voice vote. According to the Bill, a 25-member National Seed Board will be constituted with the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture as its Chairman, while the Director General (Seed Wing) under the Ministry will be its member-secretary. It will mainly focus on seed control as well as control of seed quality.— UNB

Saudi road crash kills three Bangladeshis

Nine workers, including three Bangladeshis, were killed and six others injured in a road accident in Al-Baha province of Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening, reports the Saudi Gazette. The Bangladeshi nationals were identified as Malam Mia, Alam Shah Mia, and Saiful Islam Abu Basheer. Four Egyptians and two Indians were among the deceased. The workers, belonging to a catering company that supplies food to patients in Baljurashi hospital, were going to Qunfuda corniche to spend their day-off when the van they were travelling on overturned on a mountainous road. — UNB