The 'controversial' Public Safety Act (PSA) is likely to be repealed in the coming session of the Jatiya Sangsad.

The Cabinet at its meeting yesterday agreed in principle to repeal the "black" law and advised the Ministry of Law to place a draft bill in this regard at its next meeting.

Meeting sources said the Ministry of Law has been studying the PSA and will soon finalise the draft of the repeal bill. After the cabinet's approval, the repeal bill is likely to be placed in the next JS session which begins in

the third week of January.

The repeal of the law would subsequently dismiss the cases pending under the Act.

The PSA, which was introduced by the Awami League government in February 2000, came under severe criticism by opposition political parties of the time, civil society and professional bodies.

The repeal of the PSA and other draconian laws were among the main election pledges of BNP.

The cabinet yesterday also discussed recommendations submitted by a committee regarding modality of the Upazila Parishad. Th e recommendations were submitted at the cabinet meeting yesterday by a five-member Cabinet sub-committee headed by LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan.

After discussions, the Cabinet decided to finalise the Upazila Parishad Amendment Bill after review of the previous commission's report. The BNP during 1991-96 had formed a local government commission headed by Barrister Nazmul Huda.

The Cabinet decided to include Nazmul Huda in the five-member Cabinet sub-committee for modifications of the recommendations.

UNB, adds: The cabinet approved a proposal to set up an exchange house of Agrani Bank in Singapore to facilitate sending of remittance by the Bangladeshi expatriates through proper channel.

Sources said the "Agrani Exchange House Limited" would be owned 100 per cent by the state-run bank.

The Singapore government will have no stakes in the exchange house, except a Singaporean director, according to a banking source.

"In fact, the exchange is aimed at stopping illegal money transfer that is Hundi," he said.

The approval came at the regular weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Prime Minister's Office with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the chair.