DHAKA, Dec 27, 2022 (BSS) - Cabinet Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar today said two more rural development academies will be built in the country; one will be in Melandaha upazila in Jamalpur district and another one in Rangpur district.

One will be named as Sheikh Hasina Rural Development Academy, Jamalpur and other one will be Sheikh Russel Rural Development Academy, Rangpur, he said.

Kabir Bin Anwar said these in a press conference at the Cabinet Division conference room at the secretariat to inform the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting. It was the first meeting he joined as a cabinet secretary.

Earlier, the cabinet meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at Tejgaon here.

 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.

 The cabinet has given final approval to the draft laws relating to build the two more academies.

 Earlier, the draft laws got approval in principal in the cabinet in April last.

The country will have four academies once two more academies are built. Now the country has two academies, one is Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Cumilla and another one is Rural Development Academy in Bogura.

Besides, the government has a plan to build another academy in Jashore.

 The cabinet secretary said as per the draft law, there will be a 21-member board to run the academy.

Minister or state minister or deputy minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Division will act as the chairman of the board as ex officio while joint secretary or upper grade official will act as director general of the academy, he said.

Kabir Bin Anwar said the rural development academy will conduct research activities and offer diploma degree in rural development or concerned subjects.

He said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sending expatriate workers at government level is going to be inked between Bangladesh and Libya.
The cabinet gave approval to the draft of the MoU and it will be signed soon, he said.

Besides, the cabinet approved the proposal of observing National Expatriate Day on December 30 every year, he said.

Replying to a question, the cabinet secretary said some countries in the world are witnessing fresh outbreak of coronavirus.

The prime minister and the cabinet were apprised of current Covid situation and measures, he said.

He said as the first step, if citizens of those countries, where new variant of coronavirus have been detected, come to Bangladeshi ports, they will be tested separately before getting entry.

Such screening programme has already begun at four booths at Shahjalal International Airport and four persons have been sent to isolation after conducting rapid antigen tests, the cabinet secretary said.

Kabir Bin Anwar said Bangladesh has been able to successfully face the coronavirus pandemic under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Coronavirus vaccines were given to people free of cost, lockdowns were enforced on limited scale and different cash incentives were given to face the coronavirus situation, he said.

He said administering of the 4th dose coronavirus vaccine is going to begin.

"Now we have experienced physicians and nurses. We have capability in facing any situation. But now we are giving priority on taking preventing measures," the cabinet secretary added.