Land secretary says ministry unfairly blamed for all land service complaints

Senior Land Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed today said that although land-related services are also provided by other ministries, complaints are directed only at the land ministry.

He made the remark at a seminar titled "Role of Media in People-Friendly Land Services" held at the media centre of the Secretariat today

The event was presided over by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) President Masudul Haque and conducted by General Secretary Ubaidullah Badol.

"There are brokers involved at different stages of land services, but not all land-related activities are handled by the land ministry -- the law ministry is also involved," said Saleh Ahmed. "People often face harassment at land offices, and that's why we are gradually expanding online services to bring them directly to citizens' doorsteps."

Presenting the keynote paper at the seminar, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Land Emdadul Haque Chowdhury said, land-related services are being provided round the clock through the 16122 hotline, which receives about 2,500 calls daily. Through this helpline, many expatriate Bangladeshis are also able to avail land-related services from abroad.

Noting that people are gradually becoming habituated to using technology in land services, he said during the first three months of the current fiscal year, around 17.6 lakh mutation applications were submitted, compared to about 13 lakh during the same period in previous fiscal year.

He also mentioned that citizens are being served through 820 land service assistance centres in 61 districts across the country. The application fee at upazila-level land service assistance centres has been fixed at Tk 270, he added.