28 June 2016, Nirapad News: The cabinet today sent back a proposal of
the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) for introducing the
Primary School Certificate Examination system from Class-VIII and
cancelation of the existing system of Primary Education Completion (PEC)
in Class-V.
The cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair,
asked the MoPME to submit the proposal after detailed scrutiny further
to determine the level of the primary education in light of the National
Education Policy 2010.
“The cabinet didn’t give approval to the proposal and asked for
recasting,” Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam told reporters after the
meeting.
“The cabinet asked the ministry to examine the proposal in detail and
said the existing system of primary examination in Class-V and Junior
School Certificate (JSC) examination in Class-VIII will continue until
the new decision is taken,” he said, adding the cabinet has sent back
the proposal considering its huge implications.
The cabinet opined that the now physical existence of primary and
secondary schools remains in separate places. So, it’s not possible to
execute the new primary examination system exactly in 2016. Necessary
preparations, including rearrangements of the classes are essential for
implementing the policy matter, the cabinet secretary said as opined by
the cabinet.
The cabinet in its today’s meeting also approved three proposals,
including the draft of the credit agreement with the government of
Russian Federation for construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
Two other proposals were: National Telecommunications Policy-2016 and
Cancellation of Open Registry of Oceangoing Foreign Vessels in
Bangladesh.
According to the draft of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Credit
Agreement, the cabinet secretary said, Russian Federation would supply
US$ 11.38 billion cost credit to Bangladesh for construction of two
plants of 1200 MW each at a total cost of US$ 12.65 billion.
The agreement is likely to be signed in August or September this year
and Bangladesh would receive it during the period from 2017 to 2024.
Interest rate of the loan would not be over 4 percent including the
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).
The loan is payable in equal installments within 30 years after the
end of a 10-year grace period from the date of the first disbursement of
the credit.
The payment date of the credit would begin on March 15, 2027 and each
year two equal installments — one on March 15 and another on September
15 – would have to be paid with Russian Bank for Development and Foreign
Economic Affairs Development.
The cabinet secretary said Bangladesh government would pay at least
10 percent in advance to the construction firm of Russia according to
the construction agreement between Bangladesh and Russia.
Shafiul Alam said the National Telecommunications Policy-2016 would
replace the existing Telecommunication Policy 1998. National ICT Policy-
2015, National Broadband Policy-2009 and International Long Distance
Telecommunications Services Policy-2010 would be amalgamated in the new
telecommunications policy, he added.
The 10-year telecommunication policy has been designed to achieve the
goals of the national sustainable development and connect Bangladesh
with new global economy. The policy has ascertained short, medium and
long-term target for the year 2018, 2021 and 2025 respectively to
improve the country’s tele-density and internet coverage.
The cabinet recommended for making one single law in combination with
all the existing laws relating to telecommunications including
Telegraph Act-1885, Wireless Telegraph Act-1933, Radio Transmission
Act-1975 and 1992, Television Transmission Act-1965 and Information and
Communications Technology Act-2006 and Pornography Act-2012 and
Telecommunication Regulatory Act-2001.
Shafiul Alam said the cabinet scrapped the existing provision of Open
Registry of the oceangoing foreign vessels in Bangladesh which was
enforced in 1989. The decision was taken against the backdrop of
involvement of the ships and crews in criminal activities and other
related difficulties.
With the decision, the cabinet secretary said, the status of the
oceangoing foreign ships would be changed in Bangladesh and from now the
ships would get Closed Registration or Mixed Registration which are
widely followed across the world.
A few countries like Panama, Liberia and Marshal Island follow the open registration for foreign ships, he said.
