Dhaka: The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of the Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill empowering the Judicial Magistrate courts to deal with cheating and forgery related cases aiming to minimise the workload of the commission.

But, the trial of cheating and forgery cases of the government officials and bankers related to their official duties as well as cheating and forgery over government property would be held under the ACC Act.

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

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said with the inclusion of the sections of trying the cases of cheating and forgery under the ACC (Amendment) Act 2013, the number of such cases increased enormously, making the investigation and trial troublesome ones.

So, the Commission proposed exclusion of these sections from the ACC Act, he said.

Under the proposed amendment, the Cabinet Secretary said, all cheating and forgery cases except those relating to government property and duties of government employees and bankers would be dealt with by judicial judge courts.

As a result, the ACC’s workload will decrease while the trial and investigation of other important ACC cases would get expedited, he added.

Musharraf Hossain said the draft of the law proposes that the ACC would handover all under-investigation and under-trial cases related to cheating and forgery to the competent authorities like judicial magistrate courts.

But, he said, the similar cases which are under primary inquiry of the ACC would be disposed of automatically.

The Cabinet also approved the draft of the ‘National Nutrition Policy, 2015’ aiming to make it a time-befitting one.

The Cabinet Secretary said the National Nutrition Policy has been framed in consultation with various ministries, divisions and experts in line with the government’s Vision 2021.

The goals of this policy includes improving the nutrition condition of common people, especially mothers, children, teenage girls and underprivileged section of society, controlling malnutrition and expediting national development through improving lifestyle and living standards.

Under the Policy, the existing National Nutrition Council has been renamed as National Nutrition Coordination Council headed by the Prime Minister.

The Cabinet also gave nod to the draft of the Air Service Agreement titled ‘Agreement between Canada and Bangladesh on Air Transport’ to be signed between Bangladesh and Canada to enhance bilateral air connectivity.

Under the proposed agreement, both the countries could run three passenger and three cargo flights by their designated airlines each week.

The meeting was also apprised of the visit of Foreign Minister to France on June 21-24, 2015.

Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting. Secretaries concerned were also present.