The Jatiya Sangsad (JS) passed Wednesday the "Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Bill 2014' aimed at continuing the ongoing socio-economic development activities in the region, reports BSS.
State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing moved the bill in the House for its passage.
The bill was passed by voice votes.
Earlier, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs RAM Ubaidul Moktadir Chowdhury placed the bill in the House in an amended form.
The standing committee sent its report back to the House within the stipulated period after making recommendations on the report.
The State Minister introduced the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Bill 2014 in parliament on April 8, 2014, mainly to replace the existing ordinance promulgated in 1976.
After passage of the bill, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board will establish its office in Rangamati. The bill was passed with the provision of forming a six-member board with a chairman and a vice chairman.
The government would appoint its chairman with priority on the tribal as per the terms and conditions of the board. The Vice Chairman would enjoy the status of a joint secretary while the members of the board would have the status of deputy secretary.
Meanwhile, a bill titled "The Palli Sanchay Bank Bill 2014" to set up a specialised bank for giving facility of savings and transactions of the earnings of the rural poor and under privileged people was passed in parliament Wednesday, reports BSS.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith moved the bill in the House, which was passed by voice votes. He introduced the bill in the House on March 2014.
After passage of the bill, the new bank will be set up to give the activities of the government's "One House, One Farm" project an institutional shape along with facilitating savings and transactions of the money to be earned by the poor and under privileged people living in rural areas.
The specialised bank will play an important role for poverty alleviation in the rural areas as the law will encourage the rural poor for savings, help them create village organisations for socio-economic development and ensure women empowerment with their capacity building.
Earlier, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry M Abdur Razzaque proposed "The Palli Sanchay Bank Bill 2014" in an amended form and with recommendations.
According to the bill, the proposed bank will also be established as soon as possible through a gazette notification keeping provision of its head office, regional office, shareholders, registered shareholders' samity list. The paid up share capital of the bank would be Tk 2.0 billion while the authorised capital will be Tk 10 billion. Of the total capital, the government will pay 51 per cent while the rest 49 per cent will come from the cooperative societies of the "One House, One Farm" project.
The bank's board of directors will consist of 10 members along with its chairman.
