Cabinet okays draft amendment keeping highest 7 years of jail for obstructing journalists, observers during elections

The cabinet on Tuesday approved in principle the draft of Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, keeping the provision for two to seven years of jail in the case of obstructing journalists and observers while performing their professional duties during elections.

The approval came at the regular cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

"The proposed amendments will be finalised in the next cabinet meeting," Cabinet Division Secretary for Coordination and Reforms Md Mahmudul Hossain Khan told reporters after the meeting.

"If the amendment proposal gets approval, the Election Commission can appoint a returning officer in each constituency," he said and noted that one returning officer can be appointed for all constituencies under a district in the existing law.  

The provisions for appointing constituency-based returning officers, alongside district-based ones,  have also been incorporated in the proposed amendment, he added.

The secretary said the cabinet also approved the draft of the Bank Company (amendment) Act, keeping the provision that maximum three members of a family can be members of directors of a bank, he said, adding the existing law allows four members of a family in the board of directors, he added.

Besides, tougher provisions have been incorporated in the proposed amendments to prevent irregularities in loans, Mahmudul said and added that the draft of the Land Development Tax Act-2023 has also been approved.