Dhaka: The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of ‘The Wage Earners’ Board Bill, 2017’ aimed at ensuring the welfare of Bangladeshi citizens living abroad.

The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports the UNB.

Briefing reporters after the meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the draft law is a new one and it has been formulated to establish a wage earners’ board with a legal shape.

‘Such a board already exists and it has been running under rules as there is no law in this regard,’ he said.

According to the draft law, there will be a 16-member Board of Directors with Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment as the head. The headquarters of the Board will be in the capital. The draft law also explained the definition of expatriate and expatriate workers.

Shafiul Alam said the board members will be appointed for a three-year term and it will sit in a meeting after every two months.

In case of any emergency, the Cabinet Secretary said, the Board chairman can take decisions which should be approved in its following meeting.

The cabinet secretary said the board will accomplish 12 specific responsibilities, including bringing the body of any deceased expatriate, realising compensation from the company concerned of the respective country for accident victims and rehabilitate them socially and economically.

About the board’s fund, Shafiul Alam said it would form a fund from various sources like the grants of the government, grants received from the local and foreign organisations and surcharges of Bangladesh missions abroad or money received from any other legal sources.

Ministers, state ministers and secretaries concerned were present.