‘Digitalisation of land management crucial for good governance’

The digitalisation of land management is crucial to ensure good governance and eliminate corruption, analysts said at a dialogue today.

Although digitalisation is expected to bring a revolutionary change in land management, it is important to ensure that the process is participatory, they said.

Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, with support from Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), organised the event on "Contemporary initiatives in land management and citizens' rights" at the capital's Brac Centre Inn.

"Many people in Bangladesh do not have access to digital services, which is a challenge for them," said Iftekharuzzaman, core group member of Citizen's Platform and executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh, approximately 60 per cent of the annual pending cases are related to land, indicating the prevalence and complexity of land-related disputes.

The government has taken various initiatives, including the digitalisation of land management, to resolve these issues.

But in many cases, the common people are left behind, as communities are not aware of these benefits.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, convener of Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh and distinguished fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said, "Land rights have intertwined with the rights of women and indigenous communities. Given the multidimensional nature of this issue, it is not solely the responsibility of the land ministry to address it."

Mustafizur Rahman, land secretary; Shaheen Anam, core group member of Citizen's Platform and executive director of MJF, and Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, land minister, also spoke.