Bangladesh is set to ratify an agreement on motor-vehicle regulation for cargo and passenger transportation through the South Asian countries-a move meant for a push to regional connectivity.
A proposed amendment to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia on manpower export also got the cabinet seal of approval for adoption with a view to expanding the labour market in the ASEAN country.
The country will also renew trade agreement with Bhutan for boosting the bilateral trade through exploiting the untapped potential.
The decisions of the government came at the regular weekly cabinet meeting Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at Bangladesh Secretariat.
"The cabinet approved a draft for amending the existing memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will allow the country to export manpower to Malaysia under government-to- government (G2G) basis," Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the media after the cabinet meeting.
He said that under the existing MoU Bangladesh could export manpower only to the mainland Malaysia (Malaysia Peninsula). And the amendment has proposed bringing Sarawak State of Malaysia under job market.
He said the council of ministers also approved the draft of an agreement for waiving visa requirement for visit of diplomats and their family members and government officials of Bangladesh and Malaysia to each other's countries. Family members will cover the spouses of the diplomats and their unmarried children below 21 years.
Mr Bhuiyan said the cabinet also approved the draft of 'The Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation and Cargo Vehicular Traffic amongst the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries'.
He said the agreement will be placed before the ministerial meeting ahead of the upcoming SAARC Summit in Nepal later this month.
The Cabinet Secretary said cargo vehicles, and regular and non-regular passenger transport would come under regulation.
"The agreement will help enhance connectivity among SAARC nations. The draft also proposed multiple visa regimes for the operators of the vehicles," Mr Bhuiyan said.
He said the cabinet also approved a proposal for renewal of 'The Agreement on Trade between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh' for boosting bilateral trade between the two next-door SAARC countries.
The draft proposed including goods and services under the agreement and constitution of a joint working group on trade between the two countries.
The cabinet adopted a resolution congratulating the Bangladesh cricket team on their all-win victory over Zimbabwe in a three-test series at home.
Obituary references on two eminent citizens -- Swadhinata Padak laureate Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui and Ekushey Padak laureate Syed Moinul Hossain -- were also adopted. Both of them passed away recently.
Prof Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, also an ex-VC of Jahangirnagar University, died on November 11 at the age of 86. He was in charge of the Ministry of Education when he served as an adviser of the caretaker government under Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed during 1990-91.
He authored many books -- both in Bengali and English. He was the Editor of Bangla Academy English-Bengali Dictionary.
Mr Bhuiyan said the cabinet turned down the proposal of the Water Resources Ministry for making 'Bangladesh Haor and Water Bodies Development Board' into a statutory body, rather giving the status of an attached department of the ministry.
The cabinet was apprised about the Commerce Minister's participation in the Brussels meet on Sustainability Compact issue in the readymade garment (RMG) industry in the country on October 20.
However, sources said, there was no discussion during the cabinet meeting regarding the much-talked-about statement of Prime Minister's political adviser HT Imam at a meeting of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) last Wednesday.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
