Dhaka: The cabinet has given final approval to the draft of Chittagong Medical University Act, and Rajshahi Medical University Act for upgrading of two medical colleges into universities.

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

The government has decided to establish the universities according to the decision of the National Health Council last year to create more specialist medical persons in the country aimed at improving the country’s healthcare services.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the Chittagong Medical College (CMC) and Rajshahi Medical College (RMC) and other medical colleges in Chittagong and Rajshai region would be affiliated with the respective medical universities.

The universities would provide post-graduate level studies and bachelor degrees in nursing, the cabinet secretary said.

The public universities would be autonomous in terms of administrative and financial management. The universities will have Syndicate, Academic Council, Faculty, Deans’ Committee, Curriculum Committee, Board of Advanced Studies, Finance Committee, Planning and Development Committee and Discipline Committee, among others.

President of the country will be the Chancellor of the universities and he/she will appoint a vice chancellor from the university teachers or any experienced academic person of medical education under some conditions through gazette notification. The universities will have two pro vice-chancellors.

The cabinet also approved a proposal of the Banking and Financial Institution for promulgation of the draft of the Money Launder Prevention (amendment) Act as an ordinance considering its urgency.

He said an ordinance on the law is required in the backdrop of the coming visit of the inter-governmental organisation Asian Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APGML) to Bangladesh to evaluate the country’s money laundering prevention system.

Ministers, state ministers in charge of different ministries and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.