The Council of Advisers on Monday approved a series of major legal and policies, including the drafts of Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework (BNQF) Policy, 2026 and the National Fisheries Policy, 2026.
The decisions were taken at a special meeting held at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam later briefed the media at the Foreign Service Academy on the outcomes.
The Council also approved a proposal to ratify the Implementing Agreement between the Qatar Armed Forces and the Bangladesh Armed Forces concerning the deputation (secondment) of officers, military personnel and civilians.
Besides, policy-level approval was given to recommendations submitted by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) from the report of a committee on the establishment of a Bangladesh Free Trade Zone.
Explaining the BNQF Policy, Alam said the framework has been designed as a dynamic and inclusive qualification pathway. The key objectives of the policy are to clearly define qualifications across all streams of education-general, technical and madrasah-at every level.
Te policy, he said, aims to create an open and flexible qualification system that supports lifelong learning through recognition of prior learning and learning transfers, enhances employability, and facilitates both vertical and horizontal mobility of workers across institutions, sectors and countries.
The framework will ensure national, regional and international recognition of qualifications, enable comparability and equivalence of learning outcomes, and establish clear entry and exit pathways between different education systems.
The BNQF Policy is intended to guide human capital development and help determine learners' education and career trajectories.
About the BPSC (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, Shafiqul Alam said the amendment has been brought to remove obstacles related to expenditure of the Commission's allocated budget and enhance operational efficiency.
A new sub-clause 8 (Ka) stipulates that while the government will allocate funds to the Commission every half-year, prior government approval will no longer be mandatory for spending the allocated funds in approved and specified sectors, he added.
The press secretary said that the Council of Advisers approved the draft of the National Fisheries Policy 2026, replacing the previous fisheries policy adopted in 1998.
The new policy prioritizes ensuring food and nutrition security for the people, meeting demand for animal protein, creating employment, reducing poverty, empowering women, expanding export trade, and promoting socio-economic development and the blue economy through sustainable fisheries production, he added.
To achieve these goals, emphasis has been placed on the use of modern technology, mechanization of fisheries, development of fisheries and fisheries product value chains, production of value-added products, sustainable and ecosystem-based management of open water bodies, and deep-sea fishing, Shafiqul Alam said.
Regarding defense cooperation, he said, the Council of Advisers approved the proposal to ratify the agreement between Qatar and Bangladesh armed forces, which will allow Bangladeshi officers and personnel to work with the Qatar Armed Forces on deputation.
The Press Secretary noted that some officers have already gone under this arrangement, and there is scope for the number to increase as bilateral relations deepen and move to a new height.
Shafiqul Alam said that the Council of Advisers also approved key recommendations related to establishing a Bangladesh Free Trade Zone (FTZ).
He said in the FTZ model, companies from anywhere in the world will be able to produce goods in the zone and export them to any country, including Bangladesh.
About 650 acres of land along the Karnaphuli River, currently owned by the Bangladesh Power Development Board, has been identified for the proposed zone, the press secretary said.
Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad were present at the briefing.
