Cabinet reconstitutes committee for 9th wage board award

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DHAKA, Jan 21, 2019 (BSS)-The cabinet today approved a proposal for reconstituting the cabinet committee on reviewing the report of the Ninth Wage Board for journalists and employees working in newspapers and news agencies.

“Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will head the seven-member committee,” Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said after the maiden meeting of the new cabinet held at the Prime Minister’s Office here this morning.

Briefing reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat here this afternoon, the cabinet secretary said other members of the committee are Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Industries Minister Nurul Mazid Mahmud Humayun, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian.

The cabinet secretary said the committee has been changed, but its terms of reference remain the same.

If the committee cannot submit its report by January 28, Alam said, it can take time for placing the report.

The cabinet on December 3 formed a five-member cabinet committee headed by the Cultural Affairs Minister for reviewing the report of the Ninth Wage Board submitted to the government proposing new structure for salary and other benefits for journalists and employees working in newspapers and news agencies.

Ministers for industries, home, information and labour were the members of the committee.

The committee had been asked to submit its report immediately as there is an obligation to publish the gazette of the award by January 28, 2019.

After the meeting on December 3, the cabinet secretary said that the ninth wage board award for journalists would be declared after review of the cabinet committee.