All univs likely to open this month

All universities in the country will hopefully reopen by the end of this month, Education Minister Dipu Moni informed the cabinet meeting yesterday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting virtually from the Gono Bhaban.

"The meeting discussed the current situation of the educational institutions. The education minister gave a detailed explanation for the delay in reopening of universities. The universities are run by syndicates .... she [Dipu] hopes all universities will resume in-person classes by the end of this time," Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told reporters after the meeting.

He said as the dormitories in the university have remained closed for a long time, beds and other things there have got damaged. The authorities were fixing such problems and it was a reason for the delay.

"The education minister has assured that all exams will be held as per schedule. The schedule will remain unchanged if the Covid situation does not deteriorate drastically," the cabinet secretary said.

All educational institutions were closed in March last year to curb the spread of the Covid-19. The government reopened primary and higher secondary schools on September 12 this year after the Covid situation improved. The following day, medical colleges were reopened as well.

AMENDMENT TO MUNICIPALITY ACT

Municipality mayors would not be able to hold office for more than five years as the government is amending the respective act limiting their tenure to five years.

The cabinet yesterday gave the final nod to the Local Government (Municipality) (Amendment) Act 2021.

The tenure of an elected mayor of a municipality was five years. But there was a provision in the act that said the existing mayor would continue to be in that office until the next election was held, said the cabinet secretary. 

The act was formulated in 2009. The issue had been overlooked, he said, adding that it came to surface that many mayors filed cases on different grounds to prolong their stay in office for even 15 or 16 years.

Since there were no clear directives to this end in the act, no measures could be taken. "The issue was discussed in several previous cabinet meetings. Today, the act was given the go-ahead," he said.

"The posts of mayors and councillors will fall vacant after a tenure of five years."

Administrative officers or any person deemed competent by the government will be appointed as administrator of the respective municipality. Such a provision is absent in the existing act.

"Once the act is passed in parliament, the local government will take an initiative to vacate the posts and appoint administrators," he said.

The election will be held within 90 days. If that does not happen for some reason, it will have to take place in six months.

The post of secretary of the municipality has been renamed Municipality Executive Officer in the amendment, he said.

Replying to a question, he said four or five years ago about 30 percent municipalities could not pay salaries to their officers and staffers on a regular basis.

But the situation has improved. "Now, about 80 percent of the municipalities can pay the salaries regularly," he said.

"Without proper reasons, a municipality will lose its status if it fails to pay salaries for 12 consecutive months," he said, adding that the provision has been incorporated in the amended act.

ESSENTIAL SERVICE ACT APPROVED

The cabinet yesterday also approved the draft "Essential Service Act, 2021" in principle.

Anwarul Islam said the draft was prepared incorporating The Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952 and The Essential Services (Second) Ordinance, 1958, which are in effect right now.

"If the act is passed in parliament, the government can declare some services as essential for a specific period, if necessary. Therefore, strike or shutdown cannot be declared and owners cannot go for layoffs during the period," he said, terming it a very effective act.

Essential services include post, telecommunications, internet, digital services, including ICT, mobile financial service, digital financial services, power generation and supply, customs and food procurement.

The government can declare these as essential services anytime but for maximum six months, he said.

"For example, power generation work is going on. But lay-off or strike is called. During such times, the government can declare the services as an emergency one," he said.

After the declaration, strike, lock-out and lay-off will be illegal, said the cabinet secretary, adding that there is provision of handing punishment of both workers and owners in the act.

Replying to a question, the act will be applicable to both government and private service providers. "The government can declare the garment section as an essential sector," he said.

The labour ministry will select whether an act of strike, lock-out and layoff is illegal.

Hasina has also directed the commerce, the agriculture and the foreign minister to explore the opportunity to invest in the agricultural sector in the African countries.