Cabinet approves draft of amended narcotics control act

The cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of an amendment bill dropping the provision of setting up separate narcotic control tribunals to pave the way for competent courts to try narcotic-related crimes, reports UNB.

Amid the backlog of huge narcotic cases, the ‘Narcotics Control (Amendment) Bill, 2020’ was cleared at the weekly cabinet meeting, held with prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office in the city.

“The bill was brought to have a provision of holding trial of narcotic-related cases in the courts having the jurisdiction for quick disposal of such cases and easing the backlog of huge drug-related cases,” said secretary (coordination and reform) of the cabinet division Sheikh Mujibur Rahman while briefing reporters at the secretariat about the outcome of the cabinet meeting.

He said it was supposed to form necessary number of narcotics control tribunals in line with article 44 of the existing Narcotics Control Act 2018.

But the law and justice division cannot set up any narcotics control tribunal yet or cannot entrust the tribunal’s responsibility with any additional district judge or sessions judge for administrative reasons, said Mujibur Rahman.

“So, complexities have been created in disposal of cases filed under the Narcotics Control Act 2018 since it has become effective, and the number of pending cases filed under this law keeps growing day by day,” he said.

As per article 44 of the proposed law, the courts, having jurisdiction, can try the narcotic-related cases as per the gravity of crimes as well as a sessions judge concerned or a metropolitan sessions judge concerned can fix one or more than one courts that have the jurisdiction to try narcotic-related crimes in their respective areas, he said.

In the bill, changes have been brought in 22 articles of the exiting act, said the secretary.

Meanwhile, the cabinet approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Bill, 2020 to remove some problems and obscurities from the exiting Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Order, 1972.

The Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Bill, 2020 was brought to make the existing law as a time-befitting one to increase more revenue from the tourism sector, said Mujibur Rahman.

With a four-member board of directors fixed by the existing law, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) now faces difficulty to take prompt decisions in coordination with other ministries and departments concerned, he said.

Since the ministries and department concerned have no representative in the BPC board of directors, the BPC does get the desired assistance from the agencies for development of the country’s tourism sector, he added.

“If the proposed law is passed, the BPC board of directors will be formed with senior secretaries, secretaries and representatives of the ministries and departments concerned,” said the secretary.

Besides, the cabinet adopted a felicitation motion greeting the Bangladesh Under-19 Cricket Team for clinching the ICC Under-19 World Cup trophy defeating four-time champions India by 3 wickets in the final of the tournament at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, South Africa on Sunday.