A draft law, which was approved by the cabinet in principle on Monday, has proposed $160,000 as compensation for the death of a passenger in plane accident.
In case of failure to give the compensation, the draft law has proposed a 10-year jail term and a fine of Taka 1.0 billion for airlines owners or company.
The draft law, The Air Transport (The Montreal Convention, 1999) Act, 2019, was approved on Monday during a cabinet meeting at the PMO with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, with an aim to ensure air passenger rights.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed the journalist at the Secretariat after the meeting, reports BSS.
“The cabinet has in principle approved the draft of the law in accordance with “The Montreal Convention, 1999″ to give safeguard of the air passengers,” the cabinet secretary said.
Referring to the deaths in a plane crash in Nepal, he said, “Each of the people who were killed in the plane crash in Nepal got only $12,000. But, from now on (after passage of the law) one air passenger would get $160,000 as compensation in case of death from injuries.”
“The law has proposed 10 years’ jail and a fine of Taka 1.0 billion for airlines owners or company in case of failure to give the fixed compensation,” he said.
It also proposed to increase to $70.0 from $25.0 for per kilogram in case of lost luggage which was $25.0 while it will be $27.0 instead of $25.0 for the cargo, he added.
About implementation of the cabinet decision, around 82 per cent of its decisions (59 decisions out of 72) in the quarter from April to June were implemented, the Cabinet Secretary added.
Shafiul informed that the cabinet has approved the “Leather and Leather Goods Development Policy, 2019” giving emphasis on attracting foreign investment as Bangladesh has set a target to earn five billion US dollars from export in this sector by 2024.
“The cabinet also approved the proposal of Bangladesh’s accession to Patient Corporation Treaty (PCT),” he said, adding that as many as 152 countries including India and Sri Lanka have signed the treaty.
The cabinet also adopted a condolence motion at the death of Bangladesh National Awami Party-NAP (Muzaffar) President Professor Muzaffar Ahmed.
Primary and Mass Education Minister Md Zakir Hossain and secretary Md Akram-Al-Hossain handed over a five-year work plan for the ministry in line with the election manifesto to the Prime Minister.
