Staff Reporter:
The cabinet on Thursday reviewed the implementation of its previous decisions and approved several important international agreements and a policy initiative, including defence cooperation with Japan and Bangladesh’s participation in the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
The cabinet reviewed the progress and gave the approvals at its eighth meeting held at the Cabinet Division in the Bangladesh Secretariat this evening. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chaired the meeting, the Cabinet Division said in a press release.
According to the release, seven cabinet meetings have been held by 30 April since the current government assumed office on 17 February. The implementation rate of decisions adopted in those meetings reached 70.73%.
Besides, the cabinet approved a proposal placed by the Ministry of Defence to ratify the agreement titled “Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology” signed between Bangladesh and Japan.
It also approved another proposal from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to sign the Framework Agreement on the Establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
The IBCA is a global alliance formed in April 2023 to protect seven major big cat species – Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, and Cheetah.
At present, 24 United Nations (UN) member states are part of the alliance. The agreement focuses on protecting big cat habitats, preventing illegal wildlife hunting and trade, and enhancing technical cooperation and knowledge sharing among participating countries.
As Bangladesh is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, the cabinet approved the proposal to sign the Framework Agreement on the Establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), considering the management and conservation of the Sundarbans ecosystem.
The cabinet further approved the draft of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) National Action Plan (GCM-NAP) 2026-2030, proposed by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The GCM was adopted at the United Nations (UN) in 2018 to promote safe and regular migration worldwide. Bangladesh is among 164 countries that joined the initiative.
Bangladesh has been playing a leading role in international migration cooperation platforms and is also a proponent of the GCM concept. In recognition of this role, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) listed Bangladesh as a GCM Champion Country in 2020.
The newly approved national action plan was prepared with technical support from the IOM and incorporates recommendations from various stakeholders. The plan aims to implement the GCM’s objectives and action framework during the 2026-2030 period.
