Land services not hassle-free yet: Stakeholders

Marginalised people are mostly deprived of the benefits of digitisation of the land management system due to a lack of skilled manpower at land offices as well as irregularities, land experts, economists, and civil society leaders said yesterday.

"The digitisation of the land ministry is a big initiative of the country's transformation towards being a smart Bangladesh. But it is important to make the digitisation process smooth," Dr Iftekharuzzaman, core group member of Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh and executive director of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said at a discussion. 

Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh organised the event titled "Recent Initiatives in Land Management and Citizen Rights" presided over by Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, convenor of the platform. Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury was present at the event as the chief guest.

"About 69% of people in the country do not have access to Internet and the country's Internet speed is the lowest in South Asia. That is why people are not getting desired services," Dr Iftekharuzzaman said.

"Almost half of our sub-registry offices are in a dilapidated condition. The government should also look at the competence of those who work with the public to deliver land services," he added.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, also distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said, "Land is one of the scarcest resources in Bangladesh, which is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Consequently, struggles and conflicts over land are inevitable. The issue of land is multi-dimensional, and it is essential to keep food security in mind.

"Currently, around 7% of land in Bangladesh is covered by forests, but this percentage is gradually decreasing. The rise of new chars and the filling of rivers has also become a significant issue regarding Khas land."

He also emphasised ensuring the involvement of civil society in the digitisation of the land management process.

"Land management in Bangladesh is both time-consuming and costly, and digitisation can serve as a spearhead for the government's 'Smart Bangladesh' initiative," said Debapria Bhattacharya.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said, "People are still experiencing harassment when obtaining land services, and it may not be possible to solve all land-related problems. However, we have made efforts to address some of the issues to the best of our abilities."

He mentioned that through digitisation, officials at the upazila level have become accountable, which would prevent people from facing harassment when obtaining land services.

Md Mustafizur Rahman, secretary of the Ministry of Land, said, "We have designed the online format in such a way that there will be no scope for irregularities. Our main target is to make the system harassment-free. We will also create digital maps."

Leaders of various NGOs and organisations from different parts of the country expressed their views at the event.

They said despite the discussions around digital land services in the country, people are still required to visit the land office for months to get desired services. Additionally, people are also encountering various problems related to land distribution, and land-related cases are not easily resolved.

Asif Munir from an organisation named Uttaran said, "The distribution process of Khas land is not smooth, as it is not being allocated properly to the landless. While fishermen receive the 'jal mahal,' others are taking its financial benefits, which is causing disparities in the distribution of Khas land."