UNB, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the country’s land needs to be used and its management system should be maintained in a planned way considering Bangladesh’s geographical area and huge population.
“For any kind of development initiative and making investment, the matter of land comes first. We’ll have to use land in a planned way to ensure judicious management of land,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing the high officials of the Ministry of Land and its associate bodies during her visit to the ministry at the Secretariat.
She said, there is a need for planned land use and land management, as local and foreign entrepreneurs are making huge investment in the country these days.
The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned so that no one could set up industries or buildings here and there occupying arable lands. “Steps should be there for planned urbanisation …there should be separate places for arable lands, industries and other infrastructures.”
She also asked the Land Ministry to cooperate in formulating the Upazila Master Plan through their surveys keeping aside lands for agriculture, rivers, beels, water bodies alongside keeping land for industries, especially those for SMEs to spur economic growth.
Hasina also asked the Ministry of Land to remain careful so that the ongoing work on a modern land survey system is done properly through digitization of land records and survey management. “We’re stepping towards the modern, flawless, sustainable and
people’s welfare-oriented land management system, and we’ll have to implement it,” she said. Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif delivered the welcome address while State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Ministry Senior Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam were, among others, present.
Pointing out that most of the problems are related to land disputes, the Prime Minister said, “Once the land management system is digitised, the problems and disputes related to land will get resolved.”
Hasina mentioned that Coastal Land Zoning project has been undertaken in 21 districts, including 19 coastal districts for protection of environment and ensuring modern and scientific land management. Land zoning activities in 40 more districts would be completed by 2015, she added.
She said, initiatives have been taken to launch digital land management system with digital survey in Gazipur, Narayanganj, Chittagong, Rajshahi City corporation and Kushtia Sadar upazila. “We want this digital land management system to be launched throughout the country.”
Mentioning that Bangladesh has already ratified the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) Bill with India, Hasina hoped that the LBA Bill now at the Indian parliament would be passed soon and ratified, paving the path for resolving the long-standing dispute with bordering land between the two countries.
Acknowledging the fact that the country’s farmland is shrinking day by day, Hasina said her government has been able to raise food grains and crops production due to its various steps and researches.
Referring to Bangladesh’s huge gain of maritime area over Myanmar and India, Hasina said steps could be there for land reclamation apart from taking proper steps to extract these huge sea resources.
Criticizing the trend of undertaking projects in the capital with the suggestions of many international organisations without considering the interest of the country and its environment, the Prime Minister said, “Huge money was spent in the past. In this context, she cited that box culverts had led the capital close to its death.”
She also directed that Land Ministry to ensure keeping water bodies while giving any approval for using land, carefully using land so that the rivers, canals, water bodies, ponds are not filled.
In this connection, Hasina criticized the profit making motive of some land developers or land encroachers saying that they often grab, for instance, 20 bighas of land while purchasing 10 bighas of land. “Sometimes they’re so powerful that they start run after those through their own media who speaks against them.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the country’s land needs to be used and its management system should be maintained in a planned way considering Bangladesh’s geographical area and huge population.
“For any kind of development initiative and making investment, the matter of land comes first. We’ll have to use land in a planned way to ensure judicious management of land,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing the high officials of the Ministry of Land and its associate bodies during her visit to the ministry at the Secretariat.
She said, there is a need for planned land use and land management, as local and foreign entrepreneurs are making huge investment in the country these days.
The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned so that no one could set up industries or buildings here and there occupying arable lands. “Steps should be there for planned urbanisation …there should be separate places for arable lands, industries and other infrastructures.”
She also asked the Land Ministry to cooperate in formulating the Upazila Master Plan through their surveys keeping aside lands for agriculture, rivers, beels, water bodies alongside keeping land for industries, especially those for SMEs to spur economic growth.
Hasina also asked the Ministry of Land to remain careful so that the ongoing work on a modern land survey system is done properly through digitization of land records and survey management. “We’re stepping towards the modern, flawless, sustainable and
people’s welfare-oriented land management system, and we’ll have to implement it,” she said. Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif delivered the welcome address while State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Ministry Senior Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam were, among others, present.
Pointing out that most of the problems are related to land disputes, the Prime Minister said, “Once the land management system is digitised, the problems and disputes related to land will get resolved.”
Hasina mentioned that Coastal Land Zoning project has been undertaken in 21 districts, including 19 coastal districts for protection of environment and ensuring modern and scientific land management. Land zoning activities in 40 more districts would be completed by 2015, she added.
She said, initiatives have been taken to launch digital land management system with digital survey in Gazipur, Narayanganj, Chittagong, Rajshahi City corporation and Kushtia Sadar upazila. “We want this digital land management system to be launched throughout the country.”
Mentioning that Bangladesh has already ratified the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) Bill with India, Hasina hoped that the LBA Bill now at the Indian parliament would be passed soon and ratified, paving the path for resolving the long-standing dispute with bordering land between the two countries.
Acknowledging the fact that the country’s farmland is shrinking day by day, Hasina said her government has been able to raise food grains and crops production due to its various steps and researches.
Referring to Bangladesh’s huge gain of maritime area over Myanmar and India, Hasina said steps could be there for land reclamation apart from taking proper steps to extract these huge sea resources.
Criticizing the trend of undertaking projects in the capital with the suggestions of many international organisations without considering the interest of the country and its environment, the Prime Minister said, “Huge money was spent in the past. In this context, she cited that box culverts had led the capital close to its death.”
She also directed that Land Ministry to ensure keeping water bodies while giving any approval for using land, carefully using land so that the rivers, canals, water bodies, ponds are not filled.
In this connection, Hasina criticized the profit making motive of some land developers or land encroachers saying that they often grab, for instance, 20 bighas of land while purchasing 10 bighas of land. “Sometimes they’re so powerful that they start run after those through their own media who speaks against them.”
