The council of advisers of the caretaker government yesterday approved the Gram Sarker (Rescission) Ordinance 2008 abolishing the much-debated Gram Sarkar, the lowest tier of local government.
The Gram Sarker Act 2003 that introduced the village government will be scrapped through the new ordinance.
The council of advisers at its regular weekly meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair also gave final approval to the Bangladesh University of Professionals Ordinance 2008 to bring all educational and training institutions of Bangladesh Armed Forces under a single university. Earlier, those institutions were under various universities.
The Gram Sarker Act 2003 was endorsed in parliament in 2003. A writ petition was filled with the High Court against the act the same year. Later, the court declared the act void.
Earlier, the council of advisers had approved in principle the Gram Sarker (Rescission) Ordinance 2008 and the Bangladesh University of Professionals Ordinance 2008.
The other objective of the University of Professionals Ordinance is to “keep pace with advanced world in engineering, medical science, technology, war strategy and security and other areas”.
It is also aimed at creating opportunities for higher studies and research at national level.
The president will be the chancellor of the proposed Bangladesh University of Professionals at the Mirpur cantonment in the capital.
The chancellor will appoint an in-service or retired major general as the vice-chancellor of the university for a three-year term. The senate will be the highest policy making body.
The education minister, army chief, navy chief, air force chief, principal staff officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division, UGC chairman, education secretary, vice-chancellor and pro-VC, dean, treasurer, heads of the institutions under the university, DG of the directorate of Secondary and Higher Education will be members of the senate while registrar will be member-secretary.
The ordinance contains 69 sections and 16 rules.
The government will provide funds for the university. The UGC and the university will be run like other public universities.
Members of the advisory council attended the meeting at the CA's office. The cabinet secretary, and the CA's press secretary were also present.