Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury yesterday said the land mutation application system is being regularly monitored to reduce complexity and irregularities.
“The various complexity and irregularities of land mutation are now greatly being reduced as land mutation application system is being regularly tracked,” said Saifuzzaman.
He was addressing at a National Dialogue titled ‘Land Law and Policy: Realities in Char land (Bars)’ at the ‘Bishwo Shahitto Kendro’ in the capital today organized by ‘National Char Alliance’ and ‘Shamannay’, said a press release.
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said if any application is not disposed of by time, the concerned officials are being ordered to show cause.
The number of land-related cases will greatly reduce if the survey is done properly and accurately, he said, adding, “That is why the government has taken the initiative of the digital survey.”
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said by keeping land grabbing a criminal offense, the draft of ‘Land Crime Prevention and Redress Act, 2021’ has been formulated and made open to the public for the opinion of all stakeholders.
The land minister opined that Land ‘Crime Prevention and Redress Act, 2021’ will play an important role in preventing land grabbing as the draft of the act has been formulated keeping land grabbing a criminal offense.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan addressed as the guest of honor while Lawmaker Professor M. A. Matin addressed as special guest at the dialogue, chaired by former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman.
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said that the Prime Minister has included improving of the living standards of the Char dwellers in the land national development plan with utmost priority.
Under her direction, the government has also taken steps to provide provision for allotment of agricultural Khas land (subject to availability) up to a maximum of 1 acre subject to availability and up to 1.5 Acre in coastal Char areas, he added.
The government has so far allotted 44,000 acres of Khas land among 34,000 landless families under the ‘Char Development and Settlement Project’, he furthered.
Responding to a question, the minister said that the forced grabbing of crops is taking place in the char areas, which is inhuman and unjust. Necessary steps will be taken to prevent this crime, he added.
The land minister reiterated the importance of the establishment of sustainable land management by introducing digital services and amending the laws and regulations.
He said that in a sustainable land system, no one can occupy any land without proper documents such as bona fide Registration Deed, Record of Rights, Partition Deed, Maps, etc. which are applicable as per requirement.
According to the research of the organizers of the dialogue, about 6.7 million people are living in the 8 thousand 315 sq km char land of Bangladesh.
The development of the quality of life of the chars has gained momentum in the last 10-12 years because of the initiatives and policies of the government and the activities of the Non-Government Organization (NGO) – research of the organization further reveals.
Leaders of various NGOs who are working with the Char dwellers as well as working the Char and Land as a whole, representatives of the people living in Char areas, and representatives of the mass media participated in the dialogue, among others.
