The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of "The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Act, 2018", incorporating provisions of harsher punishment under the existing law.

The approval was given at the weekly meeting of the cabinet held at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said the proposed law had been formulated making the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Ordinance, 1985 a more time-befitting one.

He said according to the draft law, the use of trademark without having a licence would be considered an offence.

For committing such offences, the offender would be sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail or have to pay a fine of Tk 25,000 to Tk 1 lakh or both.

The cabinet secretary said there was a provision of four years' imprisonment or a maximum Tk 2 lakh and minimum Tk 50,000 fine or both for exporting products violating the government circular on export, distribution and marketing, and for commercial advertisement of banned products.

Besides, a provision was there of one year's imprisonment or maximum Tk 50,000 and minimum Tk 10,000 as fine for exporting any product violating export conditions, he said.

Shafiul said the proposed law had a provision of one year's imprisonment or Tk 25,000 fine or both for violating any of the rules and regulations formulated under it as well as for the offences not covered by the mentioned sections.

The cabinet also gave the final approval to the draft of the National Jute Policy 2018, making the existing jute policy of 2011 more modern.

Shafiul said the aim of the jute policy was to make jute multifaceted at home and abroad as well as strengthen the jute sector.

Under the new jute policy, he said, five strategic priorities -- producing quality and standard jute, ensuring fair prices, making jute multifaceted, modernising jute mills and expanding use of jute goods -- had been identified.

Meanwhile, the cabinet congratulated the PM for receiving the honorary Doctor of Literature degree conferred upon her by West Bengal's Kazi Nazrul University at a special convocation of the university last Saturday.