The Cabinet on Monday ratified the ‘Extradition Treaty’ singed between Bangladesh and India in January this year paving the path for swapping prisoners sentenced to minimum one year in jail.
The ratification came from the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hussain Bhuiyan said both Bangladesh and India could mutually extradite prisoners now at the request from legal authorities of the two countries.
He said the Indian government already ratified the treaty and Bangladesh did it today. The treaty will come into effect after the singing of ‘Exchange of Ratification Instrument’ between the two countries.
Under the treaty, the Cabinet Secretary said any country could decline to hand over any prisoner convicted with the crime of political nature.
The Cabinet also approved the Commercially Important Person (Export) Policy, 2013 increasing the number of CIP to 188 from the existing 165.
The government gives CIP status to the businessmen in individual and office-bearers of business organisations category.
The Cabinet members also gave a nod to the proposal of singing ‘Bangladesh-US Counter Terrorism Cooperation Initiative’ to exchange information and technology on terrorism, terrorist financing, and money laundering between the two governments.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal of singing Memorandum of Cooperation between the Home Ministry of Bangladesh and Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States for mutual cooperation in the sphere of drug control.
Musharraf Hossain said this agreement and MoUs are not legally binding for any country.
He said the Cabinet approved the annual report on the activities of various ministries and divisions for the financial year of 2012-2013.
The reports showed that progresses have been achieved in various sectors, including achievement in power generation, per capita income, foreign currency reserve, remittance, export, revenue income and GDP.
The Cabinet approved the Protection of Neurodevelopmental Disable Trust Act, 2013 and the Paira Seaport Authority Act, 2013.
Both the laws are expected to be passed in the current session of parliament, Bhuyian added.
A report on the participation of Bangladesh delegation, led by the Water Resources Minister, at the High-level International Conference on Water Cooperation held in Tajikstan was placed before the Cabinet.
Cabinet members, advisers to the Prime Minister and State Ministers and secretaries concerned were present.
Source: UNBConnect
