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Published : 21 May 2026, 11:44 PM
The cabinet has approved a proposal to ratify the defence equipment and technology transfer agreement signed with Japan.
The approval was granted during a cabinet meeting on Thursday following a proposal placed by the defence ministry, according to a media statement from the Cabinet Division.
The defence pact had been signed on Feb 3, 2026, during the final days of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
The eighth cabinet meeting was held on Thursday, where progress reports on decisions taken at the previous seven meetings were presented.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chaired the meeting.
According to the Cabinet Division, 70.73 percent of the decisions taken at cabinet meetings up to Apr 30 since the current government assumed office have been implemented.
The BNP secured an absolute majority in the general election held on Feb 12.
The party, which had remained out of power for a long time, subsequently formed the government on Feb 17 under the leadership of its Chairman Tarique.
The cabinet also approved a proposal to sign the “Framework Agreement” on the establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
The global alliance was launched in April 2023 with the aim of conserving the world’s seven major big cat species -- tiger, lion, cheetah, snow leopard, leopard, jaguar and puma -- along with their habitats.
In its proposal, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said 24 UN member states are currently members of the IBCA.
As Bangladesh is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, the proposal to sign the agreement was approved considering the management and conservation of the Sundarbans ecosystem.
The cabinet also approved the draft “GCM National Action Plan” for 2026-2030 to implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) aimed at ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration.
According to the proposal placed by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, the GCM was adopted at the UN in 2018 and 164 states, including Bangladesh, have joined it.
Bangladesh has been playing a leading role in various global cooperation platforms on international migration and was also among the proponents 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 proposal said the draft national action plan for 2026-2030 was prepared with IOM support based on opinions from stakeholders to implement the objectives and action plans of the GCM, which was subsequently approved by the cabinet.
