Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that there is no alternative to transparent, accountable and people-friendly land management to build a just and modern state system.
He said, ‘Providing services is not a pity for the people, but it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the services of the people. Our goal is to establish a corruption-free, harassment-free, technology-based and citizen-friendly land management, which will further accelerate the sustainable development of the country.’
The Prime Minister said this after inaugurating the ‘Land Service Fair-2026’ at Bhumi Bhaban in Tejgaon in the capital this morning.
Tarique Rahman said, ‘Maybe 100 years ago, there was only one owner of the land. Over time, there may be 100 or more owners of that land. As the number of land ownership and sharing has increased, the responsibility of land officials to keep records of the entire process related to land ownership has also increased.’
She said, ‘Only landowners are more or less familiar with the words “Malikana, Khajna, Dalil, Khatian, Dag, Parcha, Namjari, Jama-Kharij, Mouja, C-S, R-S or D-S”. As a result, people had to come to the concerned land office to keep their ownership updated in these matters. However, with technological development, land management has also become modern.’
Stating that the more modern and technology-based land management is, the easier the way to resolve land-related disputes becomes, the Prime Minister said, ‘Ensuring online facilities in land management will greatly reduce the suffering related to land.’
She said, ‘At the same time, the violence of middlemen in land offices over land-related disputes will also reduce. This ongoing land fair will make the people more aware of their own responsibilities regarding modern land management.’
The Prime Minister said that as the country’s population increases, the amount of land per capita is also decreasing. As a result, as the economic value of land increases, so do land disputes, lawsuits and complications. In many cases, these disputes have not only destroyed the peace of individuals and families, but have also become obstacles to national development activities. In such a reality, planned use of land, accurate record keeping and efficient management are the essential demands of the time.’
Stating that the Ministry of Land is working to prepare accurate land records by conducting survey activities using advanced technology, the Prime Minister said, ‘By bringing almost all the services of land administration to the digital platform, the provision of services is being made easier, faster and more effective for citizens.’
She said, ‘Our goal is to develop a land management system where people no longer have to unnecessarily go from office to office to receive land services, nor do they have to be victims of corruption or harassment.’
Stating that the government is working to modernize the country’s land management, the Prime Minister said, ‘We had mentioned in the 31-point and latest election manifesto formulated a few years before the national elections about organizing land service fairs across the country to help the people in land-related matters by modernizing the country’s land management and making land management easier and more modern.’
She said, ‘By organizing such three-day land service fairs across the country from today, the government has fulfilled another election manifesto given to the people.’
Noting that the government is taking forward the politics of fulfilling the promises made to the people, the Prime Minister said, the government is taking forward the politics of fulfilling the promises made to the people by implementing each point of the election manifesto one after the other.’
She said, ‘The government wants to be accountable to the people not only in land-related matters, but also in every field with people-friendly programs. Because, the people of the country, who have been crushed by the fascist regime for more than a decade and a half, now want to see their rights reflected in the state and politics. That is why the current government has focused on implementing each point of the election manifesto and the July Charter in stages since the first week of governing the state.’
The Prime Minister said that more than 4.7 million civil and criminal cases are pending in courts at various levels across the country. Out of these, the number of land-related cases is high. Therefore, the main priority before the government at the moment is the speediest resolution of cases pending in the courts. However, it is important to emphasize the adoption of legal means such as village courts or ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) to resolve land-related disputes outside the conventional courts. On the one hand, this will take less time to resolve the dispute, and on the other hand, in many cases, the dispute may not turn into hostility.’
Recalling a significant quote by Albert Einstein on alternative dispute resolution, the Prime Minister said, Albert Einstein said, ‘Peace cannot be maintained by force, it can only be achieved through understanding.’
If alternative dispute resolution methods are implemented, especially in land-related or civil cases, through conciliation, mediation, and arbitration, on the one hand, the backlog of cases pending in the courts will be reduced, and on the other hand, it will be easier to resolve land-related disputes in the shortest possible time, he said.
The Prime Minister said, ‘Land is not just a small asset, but it is a kind of security, reliability, economic status, livelihood, and the foundation of the future in people’s lives. Based on this realization, the current government is working to deliver state services to the doorsteps of the people with a commitment to make land management free from harassment and corruption.’
Finally, the Prime Minister said that the people will undoubtedly benefit from the land fairs starting today in all districts and upazilas across the country. Because the fair will have the facilities of e-registration, online payment of land development tax, correction of records, receipt of accounts and settlement of any land-related complaints.
Source : BSSÂ
Views: 2
