Cabinet clears draft bills to bring Speaker, MPs under tax net

The cabinet Monday approved the drafts of two proposed bills under which the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and members of parliament (MPs) will have to pay taxes against their salaries, reports UNB. The draft bills are 'Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill 2011 and Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill 2011. The decisions were taken at the regular cabinet meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters at the PID conference room, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the bills on the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the MPs' remunerations and privileges were endorsed in line with the previous decision that the Prime Minister and other ministers will also have to pay taxes against their salaries. Among other agenda, the cabinet approved the drafts of two proposals on award, donation and allowances being given for heroic and brave works in the Armed Forces, Bangladesh Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar and VDP, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Fire Service and Civil Defense Departments. Under the approved proposals, the gallantry awards -- Bir Sreshtha, Bir Uttam, Bir Bikram and Bir Pratik will be renamed as Bir Sarbauttam, Bir Mrityunjoyi, Bir Chiranjib and Bir Durjoy respectively. Azad further said the years of giving the gallantry awards would be mentioned with the names of those who were, or would be, honoured with the awards for their heroic works on various occasions instead of the 1971 Liberation War. The cabinet also approved the draft of Bangladesh-Myanmar Bilateral Agreement on Capital Investment, Development and Preservation which would be signed during Hasina's upcoming visit to Myanmar. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Myanmar from December 5 next, Azad said. The proposal for ratifying the Bimstec Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transitional Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking and the draft of Cyclone Shelter Centre Construction, Preservation and Management Policy 2011 also got the cabinet's nod. Meanwhile, the cabinet was informed about Bangladesh delegations' participation in the Women's Literacy for Inclusive and Sustainable Development summit, New Delhi, in the annual meeting of International Association of Anti-Corruption Authority and the fourth conference of United Nations Convention Against Corruption, both held in Morocco, and in the first meeting of South Asia Forum, New Delhi.