No specific data on country's land, water portions: Land Minister

There is no specific data on the size of land and water portions of Bangladesh, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury told the Parliament on Sunday.

"No specific information was found regarding the size of water and land parts of the country from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics or any other government organisations," he said responding to a tabled question from ruling party MP M Abdul Latif.

Saifuzzaman said that for the welfare of the people of the country, the Land Ministry and other related ministries are working round the clock for preserving land or arable land, forests and water bodies.

Replying to Mozaffar Hossain from Jamalpur-5 constituency, the Minister said no land development tax is needed to be paid if the amount of total personal and family-based arable land is up to 8.25 acres or 25 bighas.

Under this waiver, sugarcane cultivation, lands for salt farming and ponds of farmers (except fish farming on a commercial basis) will be included, he said.

Replying to Jatiya Party MP Shamim Haider Patwari, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq said that names of some 234,347 valiant Freedom Fighters have been published in the gazette whereas some 191,898 are getting honorarium.

He said that for getting the honorarium allowances, a Freedom Fighter has to be listed in any proof of the 33 proofs. One will be eligible to get honorarium after scrutiny.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Mahbub Ali, while replying to ruling party MP elected from Chattogram-11 M Abdul Latif, said that the outstanding amount of money of Biman Bangladesh Airlines from 90 travel agents is Tk 41,92,57,940.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin, in reply to woman reserve seat MP Monira Sultana, said that at present the size of forests in the country is 14.10% of the whole country.