Pilgrims will have to pay Tk 2,20,550 to perform Hajj
Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday ordered the authorities concerned to cancel the leasing licences of any haor if its lessee was found catching fish or pumping out water from it.
The order was issued at the meeting of the cabinet held at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The cabinet approved in principle the Fisheries and Hatcheries Bill, proposing enactment of a law making provisions for ensuring the good quality of fish and shrimp fry and hatcheries.
The prime minister issued the order after the State Minister for Forest and Environment, Mostafizur Rahman, spoke of the need to protect the biodiversity of the haors — especially Hakaluki haor which is the country’s biggest wetland, covering an area 45,000 acres in Sylhet and Moulvibazar — and to increase the production of good quality fish fry, said a member of the cabinet.
The cabinet meeting, chaired by Sheikh Hasina, approved in principle the National Hajj Policy and adopted a new hajj package to comply with the new rules introduced by the Saudi Arabian government.
The prime minister’s press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad, told newsmen that under the government arrangement a pilgrim would have to spend Tk 2,20,550 for performing hajj.
Under the new rules introduced by the Arabian government, the pilgrims must have international passports instead of ‘pilgrim passes’. The size of each residence to be rented will have to be 4 square metres instead of 3.5 sq metres in Makkah and 5.5 instead of 4.5 sq metres in Madinah.
Azad informed newsmen that under the new rules of the Arabian government, every pilgrim will have to provide a bank guarantee of 50 Saudi Riyals and transport will have to be arranged by the pilgrims themselves if they stay one kilometre away from the Haram Sharif.
The cabinet also approved the Ethnic Groups’ Cultural Institutions Act 2009 and Fisheries and Hatcheries Act 2009 in principle.
Azad said the government has taken various initiatives to preserve the distinct characteristics and institutions of the indigenous communities. Under the Ethnic Groups’ Cultural Institutions Act, the indigenous people will be considered statutory agencies and will have the ownership of their moveable and immovable property.
Because of the act the participation of indigenous artistes and their culture in all state functions will be ensured, said Azad.
He said the cabinet approved the Fisheries and Hatcheries Act to ensure the good quality of fish and shrimp fry and the hatcheries. The cabinet expressed disappointment as the quality of fish and shrimp fry is not satisfactory.
The act also included a provision of punishment for the hatchery owners if they fail to maintain quality and violate the laws.
Courtesy of NewAge
