The Cabinet today approved the draft of "The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Act, 2018" incorporating provisions of harsher punishment in 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.

According to the draft law, the use of trademark without having a licence will be considered as an offence, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said while briefing reporters after the weekly meeting.

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

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

Besides, a provision is 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.

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

Shafiul said the proposed law has a provision of one year's imprisonment or Tk 25,000 fine or both for violating any of the rules and regulations formulated under the proposed law 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 Alam said the aim of the jute policy is 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 fare prices, making jute multifaceted, modernising jute mills and expanding use of jute goods -- have been identified.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 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 on Saturday last.