Dhaka: The Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal of the Finance Division to raise the salaries, allowances and other benefits of the members of Bangladesh Judicial Service, fixing the monthly salaries of senior district judges at Tk 78,000.

The approval came from 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 Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the salaries, allowances and other benefits of the judicial service members have been raised following the recommendations of the Bangladesh Judicial Service Pay Commission in line with the National Pay and Services Commission.

He said the hiked salaries of the judicial service members will come into effect on 1 July 2015 while the increased allowances and other benefits from 1 July 2016.

The Cabinet meeting also gave the final nod to the draft of the 'Tea Bill, 2016' while approved in principle the draft of the 'Tree Preservation Bill, 2016'.

Ministers and State Ministers and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.

The Cabinet Secretary said the salaries of the members of the judicial service have been increased proportionately with the Judicial Service Pay Commission of 2009.

According to the new pay scale, the salary of a Senior District Judge will be equivalent to the salary of a secretary. Their new pay scale will be Tk 78,000 (fixed) from Tk 40,000 in 2009.  

The scale of a District Judge will be from Tk 70,925 to 76,350 from that of 2009 when it was from Tk 36,000 to 39,600.

In 2009, the salary scale of Additional District and Sessions Judge and equivalent was Tk 32,000 to 37,000. In the new pay scale, their new salary scale will be from Tk 62,350 to 75,880.

The salary of Joint District and Sessions Judges will be from Tk 54,370 to 74,460 which was from Tk 28,000 to 37,000 previously.  

The salary of Senior Assistant Judges and equivalent would be from Tk 44,450-72,210 which was Tk 23,000-34,200 in 2009. And the salary of Assistant Judges will be from Tk 30,935 to 64,430 from Tk 16,000 to 25,600.

The Cabinet Secretary said Judicial Service Members will also get Bangla New Year Allowance amounting to 20 percent of their basic pay like the civil servants of the republic.

Like civil servants, members of the Judicial Service will also get other allowances, including festival allowance, house rent, tour allowance, rest and recreation allowance, education assistance, training and medical allowances.

Apart from the existing allowances, members of the Judicial Service will also get fixed Tk 5,000 annually as outfit allowance.

The main objective of the 'Tree Preservation Bill, 2016' is to conserve the ancient and century-old trees. The new law proposed for conservation of the old trees in reserve forests and other forests of the country even after expiry of their estimated life cycle period in the interest of environmental protection.

The ‘Tea Bill-2016’ is a updated one, which was originally enacted in 1977, but turned defunct with the Supreme Court verdict annulling all acts framed during the martial law regime and asking the government to make new law for their replacement.

In fact, the new law is a Bangla transcribed copy of the previous act and it will replace the previous law, Shafiul Alam said, adding that some new aspects, including the activities and management procedure of the Tea Board, were incorporated in the law.

In the draft law, necessary rules have been incorporated on management and structure of the Tea Board and its functioning as well as giving guidelines on who could be the Chief Executive and how to conduct auctions.

Tea and tea gardens, he said, have been redefined with a wider view in the new law.

On violation of the law, Shafiul Alam said, there are provisions of maximum two years of imprisonment or a fine of Tk up to five lakh for large tea garden while Tk two lakh for small gardens.