DHAKA, – The cabinet today okayed in principle the draft of “The Air Transport (The Montreal Convention, 1999) Act, 2019,” to ensure air passenger rights that include compensation of US dollar 1.60 lakh for one’s death in an accident.
The approval was given in a regular weekly meeting held at the PMO with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
“The cabinet has in principle approved the draft of the law in accordance with “The Montreal Convention, 1999″ to give safeguard of the air passengers,” Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told a press briefing at the Secretariat after the meeting.
Shafiul said in accordance with the draft law, each of the air passengers will get 1.60 lakh US dollars for death from injuries.
Referring to the deaths in a plane crash in Nepal, he said, “Each of the people who were killed in the plane crash in Nepal got only 12,000 US dollars. But, from now on (after passage of the law) one air passenger would get 1.60 lakh US dollars as compensation in case of death from injuries.”
“The law has proposed 10 years’ jail and a fine of Taka 100 crore for airlines owners or company in case of failure to give the fixed compensation,” he said.
It also proposed to increase to 70 US dollars from 25 US dollars for per kilogram in case of lost luggage which was 25 US dollar while it will be 27 US dollars instead of 25 for the cargo, he added.
Shafiul Alam said the cabinet also approved in principle the draft of “The Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation Act, 2019” that provides for enhanced penalties for giving false information while seeking house building loan.
The draft law seeks to increase the punishment to five years of imprisonment from two years and the fine to Taka five lakh from Taka 2,000
for the offence, he also said.
About implementation of the cabinet decision, around 82 percent of its decisions (59 decisions out of 72) in the quarter from April to June have
been implemented, the Cabinet Secretary added.
He also said that the cabinet has approved the “Leather and Leather Goods Development Policy, 2019” giving emphasis on attracting foreign investment as Bangladesh has set a target to earn five billion US dollars from export in this sector by 2024 and a pact signed between Bangladesh and Czech Republic to avoid dual taxation and stop dodges of revenue.
“The cabinet also approved the proposal of Bangladesh’s accession to Patient Corporation Treaty (PCT),” he said, adding that as many as 152
countries including India and Sri Lanka have signed the treaty.
The cabinet also adopted a condolence motion at the death of one of the political luminaries of the country and Bangladesh National Awami Party-NAP (Muzaffar) President Professor Muzaffar Ahmed.
Primary and Mass Education Minister Md Zakir Hossain and secretary Md Akram-Al-Hossain handed over a five-year work plan for the ministry in line with the election manifesto to the Prime Minister.
