Bangladesh News

The caretaker government should take initiatives immediately for land reforms, recovery of khas land from grabbers and establishment of rights of the landless people, said economists and experts on land related issues yesterday.

The matter should be taken seriously because over 80 percent civil and criminal litigations and conflicts are linked to land, which leave marginal farmers deprived and cheated of their land, they said at a book publication ceremony.

They proposed formation of a commission for this purpose and measures to educate people about land laws to help them get rid of complications linked to land-related litigations.

The book titled “Bhumi Aainer Sahaj Path” (land law made easy) written by Nazrul Islam Khan and published by Research Initiatives Bangladesh (RIB) was launched at the Jatiya Press Club.

Speaking as the chief guest of the event, Health and Food Adviser Dr AMM Shawkat Ali said the government also wants to protect khas land and has already sought assistance in this regard from experts.

“We want to make an arrangement for the protection of grabbed khas land in the city’s periphery and other areas,” he said.

A good planning is needed for this and the RIB and others working in this field can place such a plan to the government.

A policy on land usage was framed during 1996-2001, but it was not implemented, Shawkat said. There are many laws and it is immediately necessary to see where intervention is required, he added.

The citizens’ rights on land should be fixed through reviewing all the land laws before forming any commission or taskforce for land reforms, he said, seeking RIB’s assistance in preparing a draft citizens’ charter for the land ministry.

Among other measures, audio-visual materials could be prepared to create mass awareness about land laws and citizens’ rights on land, he noted.

Centre for Policy Dialogue Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan said the country is now run by market economy, which has elements that go against morality.

People should be educated about the land laws and provided with legal aid and training so they can get rid of land-related complications and get justice, he said.

He urged the government to immediately establish a taskforce or commission for land reforms.

The present government should at least prepare proposals on land reforms, Sobhan said, adding that the government may not have enough time to implement the reforms but it will leave a challenge for the next elected government to do the task.

Economist Md Anisur Rahman said the present government is losing its opportunity to do something about the land reform.

“I am surprised that the present government has taken initiatives to recover grabbed public land in cities only but nothing has been done in the rural areas,” Anis said.

Bangladesh Khet Majur Samity General Secretary Saiful Haque said vested quarters grabbed lowlands in haor areas of the country in the name of taking lease.

Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, the author of the book, Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir, and Association for Land Reform and Development Executive Director Shamsul Huda also spoke at the event moderated by RIB Chairman Dr Shamsul Bari.