Upazila admin to organise Hal Khata programme to collect khajna in Lakshmipur

The Kamalnagar Upazila Land Office in Lakshmipur has announced a traditional Hal Khata programme for encouraging landowners to clear levy (khajna) ahead of the Bengali New Year.

The initiative will be officially inaugurated on 13 April at the Upazila Parishad premises and will continue throughout the Boishakh across all land offices in the upazila.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Muhammad Arafat Hussain confirmed the matter, stating that the initiative aims to motivate landowners to pay levy (khajna) regularly. Special rewards will be given to the highest and most consistent payers during the programme.

Landowners visiting to pay levy (khajna) will be warmly welcomed with traditional Bangali refreshments such as sweets, puffed rice, and betel leaf. The event is being designed not just as an administrative activity, but as a joyful social gathering.

The assistant commissioner noted that Hal Khata was once a common practice in rural Bengal, where khajna were collected at the beginning of the Bengali year. Over time, the tradition faded and became mostly limited to business communities.

This initiative aims to revive that cultural heritage in the context of land administration, he added.

According to Arafat, the program is intended to inspire timely payments and boost government revenue. Many landowners often fail to pay levy (khajna) on time due to personal or institutional commitments.

He added that regular payments also help landowners stay informed about the status of their property records, reducing land-related complications in the long run.

The upazila has five land offices serving nine unions. This year, Hal Khata events will be held simultaneously in all these offices, generating significant interest among local residents.