The interim government has decided to cancel the budget allocation for the celebrations of Mujib Year for the fiscal year 2024-2025. The Advisory Council meeting chaired by the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus took this decision on today.
This was the first meeting of the advisory council held at the Secretariat.
After the formation of the interim government, the Advisory Council has held regular meetings at Jamuna, the residence of the Chief Adviser, and at the Office of the Chief Adviser, but this first meeting was held in the Advisory Council Conference Room at the Bangladesh Secretariat, the center of the administration.
Meeting insiders said that a total of Tk,1261 crore was spent in six years from 2018 to 2024 to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, describing the event as a “Mujib year celebration.”
The advisory council decided to cancel the further allocation in this regard in the financial year 2024-25.
According to a press release of the Cabinet Division, various government ministries and divisions spent more than Tk1,200 crore in the last six fiscal years of the Awami League regime.
Speedy Power and Energy Supply (Special) Act 2010 repealed
In addition, the meeting decided to repeal the Speedy Power and Energy Supply (Special) Act 2010 and finalized an ordinance.
Earlier, the High Court declared the immunity provision in Section 9 of the Speedy Power and Energy Supply (Special) Act 2010 as illegal and unconstitutional on Thursday.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury declared the two section of this act as illegal and unconstitutional including the immunity provision in Section 9 of the Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provision) Act, 2010 and Section 6(2) of the act, which says that notwithstanding anything in sub-section (1), any procurement, investment plan, or proposal must be communicated and negotiated with a limited number or a single institution, as designated by the processing committee mentioned in section 5.
Following the High Court's decision, the Advisory council meeting made the final decision to repeal the Speedy Power and Energy Supply (Special) Act 2010 to ensure transparent and competitive procurement and supply of electricity and energy in the public interest.
The draft of the ordinance was given final approval by the Advisory Council meeting subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Department.
Two national days merged
Besides, the meeting approved the proposal to celebrate 'International Migrants Day' and 'National Migrants Day' together on December 18 every year.
In the meeting, the draft of the Bangladesh Law Officers (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024, which strengthens the existing Attorney Service by appointing experienced, skilled, and qualified Additional and Deputy Attorneys General, was given final approval.
The National Human Rights Commission Ordinance approved
The Advisory Council meeting also gave the final approval to the draft of the National HumanRights Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024.
As the 12th Parliament was dissolved and the Speaker of the Parliament resigned, it was necessary to amend the provisions relating to the selection committee for the appointment of the Chairman and members of the National Human Rights Commission, according to a press release provided by the cabinet division.
The Advisory Council meeting also approved the International Crimes (Tribunals) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 draft.
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