A committee has been formed to identify unused khas land across the country within the next two months. The committee, led by four advisers, will compile data on the status of these lands.
The advisers are Adviser to the Ministry of Land Ali Imam Majumder, Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman, and Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
The decision was announced at a press conference following the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, was held at the NEC Conference Room in the Planning Commission in Dhaka.
Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud explained that the government had identified vast unused khas lands across the country. “We have decided to find out the current status of these lands, including how much land has been misused,” he said. The committee will ensure that all such land is accounted for within the next two months.
The primary reason for identifying khas land, according to Dr Mahmud, is the long delays in land acquisition, which has resulted in the destruction of agricultural land. He added, “We have decided to locate and account for these unused government lands. The four advisers will lead this initiative and gather information from the field, especially at the district level, before submitting a report.”
Regarding previous issues with land management, Dr Mahmud noted that mafias had been involved in the implementation of projects in various sectors, including rail, road, bridges, and water resources. However, he assured that such practices would no longer be allowed.
“We will assess the past records of individuals involved in such activities and ensure that no one is allowed to control multiple projects under different names. New individuals will be given opportunities instead,” he said.
He also mentioned that the proposal for the Gazipur Textile Engineering College was rejected because it involved land acquisition, despite the availability of vacant land at the nearby Gene Bank campus.
On the progress of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) implementation, Dr Mahmud stated that only 2.39% of the ADP had been executed so far, which was significantly lower than previous years, where it typically ranged between 3-4%.
“There will be no excuses for further delays in implementation. To address this, we have scheduled an inter-ministerial meeting next week,” he added.
Dr Mahmud also remarked on the reluctance of government officials to take on project director (PD) roles, a position traditionally filled by ministry staff. “Currently, no one wants to be appointed as PD,” he said.
To curb irregularities and lack of transparency, Dr Mahmud announced that, starting now, all project tenders will be conducted online. The related law will be gazetted next week, ensuring greater accountability and limiting the influence of a few mafia groups in sectors such as railways and energy.
