Compensation for death or injury in air accident to be raised by 5 times

Cabinet okays Air Transport Bill draft

January 21, 2020 00:00:00

The Cabinet approved on Monday the draft of "The Air Transport (The Montreal Convention, 1999) Bill, 2020" raising compensation to Tk 1,17, 62, 334 from Tk 20, 37, 600 for one's death and injury caused by an air accident, reports UNB.

The approval came at the Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office.

Briefing reporters at the Secretariat, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said the draft law has been formulated to in accordance with "The Montreal Convention, 1999? to safeguard air passengers.

"If the proposed law is passed, each of the air passengers will get US$ 1, 38,544 (Tk 1,17, 62, 334) for death or injuries caused by any air accident," he said.

Bangladesh is a signatory to the Montreal Convention which deals with the passengers' rights and compensation, but it was not transformed into any law in Bangladesh. Since Bangladesh has no law over the convention, the people of Bangladesh do not get benefits as prescribed in the Convention.

Referring to the plane crash in Nepal in 2017, he said each of the passengers who were killed and injured in the plane crash in Nepal got negligible compensation.

The cabinet secretary said any aircraft company will have to pay US$ 5,734 as compensation to a passenger due to flight delay in line with the proposed law which was only US$ 20 in the existing law.

Due to damage or lost of baggage and cargo of a passenger, the flight carriers must pay US$ 1,381 and US$ 24 for per kilogram respectively in the draft law which is only US$ 20 now, he mentioned.

The law will be applicable for death, damage or loss and, delay even in the case of domestic air transportation, said the Cabinet Secretary adding that the government can make the proposed law applicable by formulating necessary rules.

The cabinet at its meeting also approved in principle the draft of "The Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration & Control) (Amendment), Bill, 2020" incorporating provisions of realising up to Tk 0.5 million as fine for delayed application for renewal of licences.