A day after the government issued a directive against new land acquisition as part of measures to cut public expenditure, the Central Land Allocation Committee approved proposals to acquire more than 360 acres of land for 19 projects.
The approval was given at the committee’s 156th meeting at the conference room of the Ministry of Land on Thursday, according to a release. Land Minister Md Mizanur Rahman Minu chaired the meeting, while State Minister for Land Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin and the ministry’s Senior Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed were also present.
The previous day, the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance issued a directive aimed at reducing government spending, which included a provision discouraging the purchase of new land.
The directive imposed strict restrictions on a range of government expenditures, including the purchase of vehicles and aircraft, foreign trips by officials, land acquisition and the construction of new residential buildings.
It said land could be purchased only if it was essential for project implementation and had approval from the Planning Commission. The Ministry of Land has made the latest decision within that framework.
Which project gets how much land
The Ministry of Land said 1.44 acres of land would be acquired in the Dhopatita mouza of Fatullah in Narayanganj for the installation of a pontoon and related infrastructure to facilitate the operational activities of Bangladesh Coast Guard Station Pagla.
For the “Cluster Project-1 for the Expansion and Development of Important Roads in Chattogram City”, being implemented by the Chattogram Development Authority, 0.181 acres of land will be acquired in the Madarbari mouza of Double Mooring upazila of Chattogram.
For solid waste management by Gazipur City Corporation and the construction of bus and truck terminals in different areas, 13.33 acres will be acquired in the Shilmun and Dattapara mouzas of Sadar upazila.
Another 5.6881 acres will be acquired in the Chandana, Yogitala and Jajhar mouzas for the first revised project involving the widening of major connecting roads in different zones of the corporation, along with the construction of drains and footpaths.
Approval has also been given for the acquisition of 74.11 acres of land in the Chandgaon mouza of Panchlaish in Chattogram city for the project to construct a sewage treatment plant in the Kalurghat area of Chattogram, to be implemented by Chattogram WASA.
Under the “Accelerating Transport and Trade Connectivity in Eastern South Asia (ACCESS) Bangladesh Phase-1 (BLPA Component)” project, 52.70 acres of land will be acquired in different mouzas of Sharsha upazila of Jashore for the expansion of Benapole Land Port.
For upgrading the Cumilla (Moynamoti)-Brahmanbaria (Dharkhar) National Highway (N-102) to a four-lane national highway, 6.2785 acres will be acquired in the Dalkorpara and South Narayanpur mouzas of Debidwar upazila, 12.9571 acres in the Gopalnagar, Ichhabpur, Chhoto Shalghar and Boro Shalghar mouzas, and 9.441 acres in the Bakhrnagar mouza of Muradnagar upazila.
Under the project to construct the Jalsukha road section of the Sunamganj-Madanpur-Dirai-Shalla-Jalsukha-Ajmiriganj-Habiganj highway, the government will acquire 2.6950 acres in Ajmiriganj upazila of Habiganj. It will also acquire 11.4840 acres in Patiya upazila of Chattogram under a flood control, drainage and irrigation project.
For the construction and widening of the Sirajganj (Bagabati)-Dhunat-(Sonamukhi) road, Z-5401, under the Sirajganj-Kazipur-Dhunat-Sherpur road of the Sirajganj Roads Division, 5.2125 acres of land will be acquired from different plots in the Telkupi mouza of Sirajganj Sadar upazila.
For construction and widening work on the 38th to 39th kilometre section of the Sirajganj (Bagbati)-Dhunat-Sherpur road, 6.7375 acres of land will be acquired in the Paikpara mouza of Kazipur upazila. The committee also decided to acquire 103.73 acres of land from different plots in the Patdha and Raghunandanpur mouzas of Kishoreganj Sadar upazila for Kishoreganj University.
Under the “South Chattogram Regional Development” project, 18.73 acres of land will be acquired in the Baraitali mouza of Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar. Under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, 2.6653 acres will be acquired in the Padmabila, Ghuni and Baniagati mouzas of Jashore Sadar upazila.
The government will also acquire a total of 20.9175 acres from different plots in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet for the Sylhet-Charkhai-Sheola highway improvement project.
For the project to construct a single-line dual-gauge track from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar via Ramu and from Ramu to Gundum near the Myanmar border, 0.14 acres of land will be acquired from different plots in the Janar Keochia mouza in Satkania upazila of Chattogram.
The Ministry of Land has also given final approval for the acquisition of 12.1471 acres of land from different plots in the Faridpur, Bahapur and Baduhaji mouzas of South Surma upazila of Sylhet for the project to upgrade the Dhaka-(Kanchpur)-Sylhet-Tamabil Highway to four lanes and construct separate service lanes on both sides.
