Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury on Saturday said that three land law drafts including 'Land Crime Prevention and Redress Act-2023,’ will be introduced in the parliament as bills next Monday (September 4, 2023).

The other laws are 'Land Reform Act, 2023' and 'Balumohal (sand quarry) and Soil Management (Amendment) Act-2023.'

The 24th session of the incumbent 11th National Parliament is scheduled to begin tomorrow (Sunday). The draft laws will be tabled in Parliament in the form of bills.

The minister said this while addressing a seminar 'Decentralization of Dhaka and Sustainable Urbanization in Bangladesh,' organized by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) at the DCCI Auditorium in the capital, as the chief guest.

He also hoped that it will be possible to enact the bills including the land prevention act as law in the Parliament by next October after due scrutiny.

Read: BMCCI holds seminar on Land Laws in Bangladesh

The minister said once the recently launched Bangladesh Digital Survey is completed it will be possible to eliminate many problems in the previous surveys.

Saifuzzaman said due to digital land management there is no more opportunity to own extra land outside the ceiling.

He said, “We want people to be able to receive land services from homes so that no one can go to the land office except for urgent needs."

The Minister of Land agreed to have representatives from the private sector in the public service organizations that came up in the discussion and said that it could facilitate decision-making and work. The issue of representation may be considered in pursuing the legal aspect.

Urging media and non-governmental stakeholding organizations to play the role of a responsible watchdog, he said the government has given utmost importance to the protection of three crops' agricultural land.

Read: Land laws from British era seeing reform: Land Minister

Moreover, the ministry is working on finalizing the draft of the 'Land Ownership and Uses Act, 2023,' aimed at protecting agricultural land, capping the maximum limit of non-agricultural land, ensuring food security, and reducing the harmful effects of climate change.

In the event, the panelists discussed the strategies and areas for dealing with climate change, environmental protection, food security, agricultural land protection, well-planned urbanization across the country and reducing pressure on the capital Dhaka.

Chaired by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Barrister Samir Sattar, Secretaries to the Housing and Public Works and Environment and Forest and Climate Change Ministries Kazi Wasi Uddin and Dr. Farhina Ahmed were present as special guests.

Read more: Efforts on to pass Land Crime Act during current govt’s tenure: Land Minister

Joint secretary of Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA) and Architect Iqbal Habib presented a keynote paper at the seminar.