Dhaka: The Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal of the Ministry of Environment and Forests to continue the ban on cutting trees in the country’s reserved and natural forests until 2022.

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

‘The approval was given for extending the duration of the ban until 2022, aiming to protect the country’s biodiversity,’ Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters after the meeting.

The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of the 'Meteorology Affairs Bill, 2016' for enacting a meteorology-related law considering the present circumstances and global perspective since there is no such law in the country.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said such meteorology-related operations are now being carried out through administrative orders for lack of such law in the country.

The proposed law has a provision for setting up weather observation network, related establishments and their maintenance, and directives for making observation on quality.

‘Besides, it has a link with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Since there was no such law in the country, the new law has been proposed considering the present circumstances,’ he added.

Under the new law, the Cabinet Secretary said, the existing Bangladesh Meteorological Department, its Director General alongside its officials and employees and its management will get a legal shape.

Shafiul said the draft law also highlighted what devices to be used for forecasting and alerting people as well as making weather observations and national earthquake network establishment.

Besides, the Cabinet gave nod to another proposal for the ratification of Paris Agreement by Bangladesh.

Ministers and State Ministers, and secretaries concerned were present.