Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda has directed the authorities concerned to implement all necessary measures to ensure that the landowners within the BDS survey area are adequately informed about the ongoing survey.
Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda gave this direction to the concerned at the progress review meeting of EDLMS project (Establishment of Digital Land Management System Project) of Bangladesh Digital Survey (BDS) program at Bhumi Bhavan in the capital today.
Director General of Department of Land Record and Survey Anis Mahmud, Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Land Ziauddin Ahmed, EDLMS Project Director Md. Zahurul Haque and officials of the Ministry of Land, Land Record and Survey Department and EDLMS Project were present at the meeting. Besides, officials of the project partners from South Korea were present at the meeting.
The Land Minister emphasized the lack of information among landowners during the survey process, resulting in harassment. He noted that this often occurs when the rightful owner is absent during the survey, leading to completion without their knowledge. Citing past incidents, the minister mentioned instances where landowners, upon selling land for personal reasons, discovered incorrect surveys had been conducted, resulting in the land’s Record of Rights (ROR) being issued in someone else’s name. Consequently, legal owners endure years of legal and economic challenges in reclaiming their property rights.
The minister directed the BDS survey officers to publicise the about the ongoing survey locally and nationally so that people living in and outside the area can know that the survey is being conducted in their area. But we also have to keep regular inquiries about our valuable resources, our own land,” the minister added.
The land minister hoped that the BDS program of the first phase of the ongoing survey in six areas under the EDLMS project will be completed by 2026. With the necessary output from the first phase, it will be possible to launch the BDS program simultaneously throughout Bangladesh in the second phase.
Note that, Bangladesh Digital Survey is underway in Chattogram, Narayanganj, Rajshahi City Corporation, Manikganj Municipality, and Dhamrai and Kushtia Sadar Upazilas through the EDLMS project.
During the meeting, BDS officials informed the land minister, the installation of ground control points is nearing completion, marking the final stage of preparation. Shortly, the mapping process utilizing state-of-the-art equipment such as aircraft and drones will commence, aiming to swiftly finalize the project.