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March 17 now public holiday

Cabinet also okays EPZ workers' right to form welfare bodies

Staff Correspondent
The cabinet yesterday finally approved the EPZ Workers' Sangha and Industrial Relation (amendment) Act, 2009 to pave the way for forming welfare committee of export processing zones (EPZ) workers.
A regular meeting of the cabinet also approved March 17, the birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a public holiday.
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Commerce Minister Faruk Khan told The Daily Star last night diat instead of trade union, the workers will have the right to form welfare committees intheEPZ.
“Since the workers don't have the right to trade union, we at the meeting proposed some amendments in the act to give them the opportunity." headded.
Talking to The Daily Star at her office, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said. “The government earlier approved in principle an amendment proposal. Finally we approved it today [yesterday] keeping in mind the workers' welfare."
She said the move would also help Bangladesh attain Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facilities. She said a bill would be placed in the upcoming session of the Jatiya Sangsad for approval of the amendment.
“If there is any discrepancy in the bill or wording, the lawmakers will discuss and fix that," Matia added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who presided over the meeting, asked her cabinet colleagues to immediately assess performances of their ministries and submit the findings so that those can be put in die president's speech in the parliament, marking the completion of the government's one-year in office.
At the meeting. Hasina advised her cabinet colleagues to remain "utmost alert" against any conspiracies to destabilise the country till execution of the verdict in the Bangabandhu murder case and ploys to create unrest in the garment industries, some senior ministers told The Daily Star.
She made the directive while addressing ministers, , advisers and state ministers after the meeting at the cabinet division of the secretariat. Hasina also held a short discussion with her colleagues after the meeting.
The cabinet also gave final approval to the Public Servants (amendment) Bill 2009 extending the service age
of freedom fighters by two years from 57 to 59, the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act 1980 (amendment) and the Fishery Hatchery Bill 2009. It okayed a proposal of appointing the upazila vice-chairman as adviser to the Upazila Coordination Committee on temporary programme to involve the youths, bodi male and female, in nation building activities. The cabinet, however, sent back to the foreign ministry a proposal for the appointment of a permanent representative to UN Office for project services in Dhaka and discarded the Bangladesh Tele-' communication Control (amendment) Act 2009.
BIRTHDAY OF BANGABANDHU - A NEW HOLIDAY
The cabinet also approved birthday of Father of the Nation as a public holiday.
Inaholidaylistfor2010, the birthday of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which is March 17, has been
included.
The day will also be observed as the National Children's Day as it was observed in Awami League's previous term from 1996 to 2001.
However, the number of holidays would not increase, as Hindus will celebrate Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, on August 15 next year.
In the holiday list, 13 days are general holidays while eight holidays are given by executive order, prime minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told journalists after the meeting.
The cabinet also expressed its satisfaction over the Supreme Court's verdict in the Bangabandhu Murder Case and observed that executions of the verdict would end the politics of killing in this country forever.
It also congratulated the premier on her receiving the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for her contributions to the establishment of peace and efforts to uplift people's lives.