Click, wait, repeat: Digital land services struggle to deliver promised ease

Highlights:

• Citizens report failure to submit applications, receive confirmations, or get receipts
• Mutation, record of rights, and tax services frequently go offline without notice
• Land tax is still calculated manually in many offices due to system failure
• Citizens are often forced to rely on unofficial agents for online applications
• Land offices routinely blame server issues and system errors for delays
• Experts cite poor planning, lack of maintenance budgets as root causes

Log in to land.gov.bd. Click the "land development tax payment" option, check your dues and pay through a mobile financial account. While this simple service can still be availed of, steps for most other digital land services introduced in recent years are not so easy now.

Digitised land documentation services were of little help for a resident of a Bagerhat village when he set out to transfer inherited land to his children. Although he had a porcha (certified copy of the record of rights, also known as Khatian) in his father's name, the land office still demanded detailed documentation of ownership and transfer history.

It took him two weeks of repeated visits to the Union Land Office just to pay the land development tax and obtain a manually issued dakhila (receipt). With online calculations unavailable due to what staff described as "system errors" and "server downtime," he had to pay a "negotiated amount."

"It took another 15 days to apply for the mutation [namjari] process," said the service-seeker from Dariala village in Mollahat upazila, who preferred to remain anonymous.

Such challenges are not unique to one district. Citizens across the country report struggling to apply for mutation, or obtain porchas or certified copies of other documents online in a timely manner.

Technical issues and procedural delays are preventing citizens across the country from benefiting from whatever online services the five-year land management digitisation project could deliver so far.

The local land revenue office blames a server problem. The land service hotline gives the same response, but neither can say when the issue will be resolved.

Launched in 2020, the Land Management Automation project aimed to modernise land documentation and make key land-related services available online nationwide.

The Tk1,174 crore project, originally set to conclude in June 2025, has been extended to June 2026, officials said.

Under this initiative, 5,247 land offices, including Union and Upazila Land Offices and Deputy Commissioner's Offices, will eventually offer online services.

These include applications for land registration, mutation, tax payments, parcel subdivision and consolidation, Mouza maps, and certified copies of land documents, all via a unified platform.

Project documents state that once fully operational, the platform will enable citizens to pay fees through online gateways, receive confirmations via SMS or email, and track ownership and plot history.

It is also designed to simplify inheritance-based share allocation, streamline compensation processes, and make documentation accessible online.

Errors, delays, even in routine services

Though not fully implemented yet, citizens started getting some benefits – paying land fees online, checking the status of their application for mutation and viewing their land profiles.

But technical issues and the requirement of submitting so many land documents and proofs of inheritance history still keep most services manual, causing time, extra money and harassment in paying taxes, applying for mutation, or obtaining certified land documents.

Many users report repeated failures in submitting applications, not receiving payment confirmation messages, and being denied receipts.

The Land Services website shows the mutation process takes 36 days on average, though the automation project sets a 15-day timeframe. 69% of the mutation applications were approved in a month till 13 July, while 15% or more applicants for online registration for tax payment are facing delays or rejection. E-porcha service is also being disrupted for delays in getting updated Mouza-based data.

Many land offices are said to suspend "smart services" without notice, especially since the launch of a new software system on 1 December last year.

Officials from the Ministry of Land and the "Land Management Automation" project have acknowledged that field-level staff are struggling with the new system.

Md Parvez Hasan, project director of the Land Management Automation initiative, has said he is aware of the problems.

Speaking to TBS on 9 July, he said, "Server problems are common, not just in land services but in other sectors as well. Sometimes the system is down, which affects the speed and quality of service delivery. Still, the work is progressing, and a large number of citizens are receiving services daily."

He added, "Issues like money being deducted without confirmation, or applications not being processed, are being reported regularly. We're addressing them. There is also a hotline that citizens can call for assistance."

Why such system errors

Land ministry and automation project officials have said a new software was rolled out in December without completing testing or integration checklists. No technical teams were formed, nor was their feedback taken prior to the launch. As a result, the e-Mutation, e-Porcha, and Land Development Tax systems are not functioning as intended.

Syed Almas Kabir, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), pointed to two key reasons for the inefficiency of government digital services.

"Firstly, most online service projects are only budgeted until the initial launch. Software updates and system maintenance require additional funding, which is often not allocated," he explained.

"When these problems arise, it becomes difficult to fix them, especially if the original software developers are no longer available. New vendors then face significant challenges in keeping the systems functional," he said.

He also noted that government officials often lack the necessary training to operate or maintain digital platforms, and trained personnel are frequently transferred.

He recommended introducing dedicated maintenance budgets and employing skilled technical staff to ensure uninterrupted services.

A monitoring report by the Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division (IMED) for the fiscal year 2023-24 highlighted several flaws in the project implementation and services based on users' feedback in 16 districts.

Respondents reported server downtime, delays in receiving receipts, limited transaction capability, and uncooperative behaviour from field staff lacking adequate training.

The project's integrated software currently runs on 14 modules, but not all are fully implemented. Moreover, no formal maintenance agreement has been signed with the developer, raising further concerns about system sustainability.

"If implemented properly, digital land services would definitely benefit the public. However, the sector still lacks a strong push towards full digitisation, and control remains concentrated in the hands of authorities," said Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman.

He pointed out that obstacles emerged from within the land administration itself when digitalisation efforts began.

"There was resistance from vested interests and local power groups. Although the government has made progress and citizens are receiving some benefits, the services are far from reaching their full potential," he added.

 Trying to fix those: officials

According to project director Md Parvez Hasan, their services largely depend on coordination among various organisations, including mobile operators and payment gateways.

"We are signing agreements with more operators to make services accessible. Efforts are underway to improve inter-agency coordination."

This was corroborated by the land ministry's Additional Secretary (Digitisation, Knowledge Management and Performance), Md Emdadul Haque Chowdhury.

Speaking to TBS on Saturday, he said, "Second-generation software was launched in December last year. We are currently piloting it inthe  Dhaka district for mutation, land tax, and e-Porcha services. Once successful, it will be rolled out nationally."

He admitted that technical issues remain. "We are aware of problems like missing SMS notifications and system failures. The ministry and project technical teams are working on them," he said.

Emdadul also mentioned that the ministry has expanded its messaging service to include private operators.

"Earlier, SMS notifications were limited to Teletalk users. Now, agreements have been signed with Grameenphone, Banglalink, and Robi, making it easier to reach more users. There are still some minor issues, but we are actively resolving them."

As citizens continue to face difficulties using online land services, the Ministry of Land has recently introduced a policy to establish "Land Assistance Service Centres" in every upazila to ease the process.

Under this initiative, one service centre is to be set up in each upazila, approved by the deputy commissioner's office. Due to there being only one centre per upazila, these offices often experience daily overcrowding.

However, even before official approval, various individuals and private organisations, often in coordination with local land offices, have already opened such centres, helping citizens to process online applications for land services. But they are charging extra fees, users said.