Digital Land Acquisition Drive: Data-Driven Framework Nears Deployment
The government is in the final stage of establishing a structured and rule-based digital land acquisition framework, moving away from the traditional ‘ad hoc approach’. As part of this initiative, the Ministry of Land has already completed the draft of the ‘Immovable Property Acquisition and Land Requisition Rules’.
This was disclosed by Land Secretary A S M Saleh Ahmed at a consultation workshop jointly organized by the Ministry of Land and the World Bank on Wednesday, 15 April, at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka.
While speaking as the chief guest, he stated that land is not merely an asset but is closely linked to people’s livelihoods and dignity. Therefore, a digital payment system is being developed to ensure that compensation reaches affected individuals quickly and without harassment, reducing delays while ensuring transparency and accountability. At the workshop, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for land acquisition was presented, which, once finalized, is expected to make development activities more dynamic and citizen-friendly.
Land Secretary A S M Saleh Ahmed further said that the digital payment system being developed will ensure the prompt and hassle-free delivery of due compensation to affected people. As a result, procedural delays and harassment will be reduced, and transparency and accountability in the overall land acquisition process will be further strengthened.
He added, “I firmly believe that the recommendations derived from today’s consultation will provide practical guidance for building a more efficient, transparent, and citizen-friendly land acquisition process—one that will accelerate the country’s development and reduce public harassment.”
The workshop was chaired by Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Land, Md. Emdadul Haque Chowdhury. Representatives of the World Bank, including Shri Kumar Tadamalla, Dong Kyu Kwak, and Md. Aktaruzzaman, also spoke at the event.
During the workshop, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for land acquisition was presented, and opinions from stakeholders were collected. Based on these inputs, the SOP will be finalized. It is expected that this will make the acquisition process easier, faster, and more citizen-friendly, thereby accelerating national development.
Officials from various ministries, development partner organizations, civil society, non-governmental organizations, and media representatives were present at the event.
Meanwhile, the government has also intensified technological integration to enhance disaster response capacity and strengthen support in the agriculture sector. On the same day, at a press conference of the Press Information Department, the Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr. Jahed stated that maximum emphasis is being placed on increasing inter-agency coordination, hazard mapping, and public awareness to reduce the risks of earthquakes and other natural disasters. According to decisions taken at a high-level meeting held under the leadership of the Prime Minister, strict enforcement of the ‘Building Code’ in construction must now be ensured, and the reconstruction of vulnerable infrastructure and expansion of monitoring systems will be further strengthened. The government is also prioritizing budget allocations in these sectors.
DBTech/DHE/EK/OR
