Staff Reporter : Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda stated that BDS will bring revolutionary changes in land management in Bangladesh.

The Minister of Land said this while giving a directive speech to the land officials after taking a briefing from the concerned officials about the progress of the project as the chief guest in a special ‘Project Review Meeting’ of the Ministry of Land organized at the ministry meeting room at Bhumi Bhaban today evening.

Land Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman chaired the meeting, with Director General of Land Records and Survey Directorate Anis Mahmud, Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Land Ziauddin Ahmed, all project directors, and concerned officials of the Ministry of Land in attendance.

The land minister further emphasized that if the BDS is implemented, it will be possible to introduce map attached ownership-based Record of Rights (Khatian), eliminating the need to share Daag (Plot) in the ROR. He expressed that lawsuits over land and boundary disputes would be significantly reduced with the implementation of an ownership-based ROR, including attached maps.

It was informed at the meeting that, Bangladesh Digital Survey is underway in Chattogram, Narayanganj, Rajshahi City Corporation, Manikganj Municipality, and Dhamrai and Kushtia Sadar Upazilas through the EDLMS (Establishment of Digital Land Management System) project. The Bangladesh Digital Survey will also commence in 32 upazilas of Patuakhali, Barguna, Pabna, Sirajganj, and Gopalganj districts after the review of another project is completed. The ‘Bangladesh Digital Survey’ will be conducted across Bangladesh through two projects in phases.

It was also informed in the meeting that the Ministry of Land has planned to establish the Bangladesh Survey and Settlement Training Academy at Savar in Dhaka. The Department of Land Records and Surveys has already initiated the recruitment process for more than 3,000 personnel. The establishment of this training academy will enable the creation of skilled manpower in the settlement and survey division of the land sector.

Furthermore, another 1,333 city and union land offices will be constructed across the country. It was revealed that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has already approved the project, involving Tk 1,592 crore. Construction of 1,043 city and union land offices has already been completed nationwide.

It is noteworthy that there are currently six ongoing projects under the Ministry of Land, with five more projects awaiting approval.