Prime Minister calls for people-friendly land management to build a modern state

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday said there is no alternative to transparent, accountable and people-friendly land management in building a just and modern state system.

“Providing services is not an act of charity toward the people; ensuring public services is the responsibility of the government,” he said while inaugurating the three-day nationwide “Land Service Fair-2026” at Bhumi Bhaban in the capital’s Tejgaon area this morning.

In this context, he said the government’s main goal is to establish a corruption-free, harassment-free, technology-driven and citizen-friendly land management system to accelerate the country’s sustainable development.

The Prime Minister said a century ago a piece of land may have had only one owner, but over time that same land could now have hundreds of owners. As ownership and shared ownership increase, he said, the responsibilities of land officials in maintaining accurate records have also grown.

Noting that landowners are familiar with terms such as ownership, land tax, deeds, khatian, dag, porcha, mutation, mouza, CS, RS and DS records, he said people traditionally had to visit land offices frequently to keep ownership records updated. However, with technological advancement, land management has also become modernised.

Tarique Rahman, also chairman of the ruling BNP, said technology-based land management would make it easier to resolve land-related disputes.

“Ensuring online services in land management will significantly reduce public suffering related to land issues. At the same time, the influence of middlemen in land offices regarding land disputes will also decrease,” he said.

He added that the ongoing land fair would further raise public awareness about modern land management and citizens’ responsibilities.

The Prime Minister said the country’s growing population is reducing the amount of land available per person, increasing land prices as well as disputes, lawsuits and complexities over land ownership.

In many cases, he said, such disputes destroy peace within families and create obstacles to national development. In this reality, planned land use, accurate record preservation and efficient management have become essential.

He said the Ministry of Land is preparing accurate land records through advanced technology-based surveys and bringing almost all land administration services under digital platforms to make services easier, faster and more effective.

“Our goal is to build a land management system where people no longer have to run from office to office or face corruption and harassment to receive land services,” he said.

Referring to the government’s reform commitments, the premier said the ruling party had pledged in its 31-point reform outline and election manifesto to organise land service fairs nationwide and modernise land management for public benefit.

“Through this three-day nationwide land fair beginning today, the government has fulfilled another election pledge made to the people,” he said, adding that the government is moving ahead with implementing its promises one by one.

The Prime Minister said the government wants to ensure accountability to people through citizen-friendly programmes in every sector, not only in land management.

He said that after enduring more than one and a half decades of fascist rule and exploitation, people now want to see their rights reflected in the state and politics.

Therefore, he added, the government has focused from its very first week in office on gradually implementing the election manifesto and the July Charter.

Mentioning that more than 4.7 million civil and criminal cases are currently pending in courts across the country, with land-related disputes making up the majority, Tarique Rahman said one of the government’s top priorities is the speedy disposal of pending cases.

He stressed the use of legal alternatives outside conventional courts, such as village courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), to settle land disputes.

“This would reduce the time needed for dispute resolution and, in many cases, prevent disputes from turning into long-term hostility,” he added.

Quoting Albert Einstein on alternative dispute resolution, the Prime Minister said, “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

He said conciliation, mediation and arbitration in land-related and civil disputes could help reduce the backlog of court cases and ensure quicker resolution of disputes.

“Land is not just a piece of property; it represents security, stability, livelihood and the foundation of the future for people,” he said, adding that the government is committed to making land management corruption- and harassment-free while delivering services to people’s doorsteps.

The Prime Minister expressed hope that people across all districts and upazilas would benefit from the fair, which includes services such as e-mutation applications, online land development tax payments, record corrections, collection of khatians and resolution of land-related complaints.

Land Minister Md Mizanur Rahman Minu chaired the inaugural ceremony, while State Minister for Land Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin and Land Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed also spoke at the event.