Staff Correspondent

Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda has directed the divisional commissioners to take stern measures to prevent the unauthorized use of farmland for housing, commercial, and industrial purposes. Additionally, he directed them to take necessary measures to prevent unauthorized land filling activities with sand or soil as soon as they are discovered.

Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda gave the directive while addressing the divisional commissioner coordination meeting as the chief guest at the conference room of the Ministry of Land at the Secretariat today, Thursday.

Additional Secretary Md. Abbas Uddin chaired the meeting. Among others, the Chairman of the Land Appeal Board AKM Shamimul Haque, Chairman of the Land Reform Board Md. Abdus Sabur Mondal, Director General of Land Record and Survey Department Anis Mahmud, Additional Secretaries of the Ministry of Land, all divisional commissioners, and various level officials Ministry of Land were present in the meeting.

The Land Minister reiterated the Prime Minister's directive to protect double and triple cropping farmland for food security and environmental protection. He emphasized the need to build a social movement to prevent the illegal cutting of land's top layer or filling of land with sand or soil.

If any such incident occurs, locals should be encouraged to promptly inform the relevant office, and quick measures should be taken to prevent further illegal activities, the Land Minister added.

The Land Minister informed the divisional commissioners that the Land Zoning and Protection Act, 2024 (draft) is in the final stage to protect agricultural land and protect the environment.

Land minister said the purpose of this law is to prevent unplanned urbanization, housing, construction of houses, development activities, and construction of industries and roads; To protect the environment and continue the production of food crops while maintaining the class or nature of the land; To ensure planned and optimum use of land including protection of agricultural land, forests, hillocks, hills, rivers, canals, and water bodies; And ensuring the use of land and ensuring state discipline in the best use of land through planned zoning.

In a visual presentation displayed at the conference, it is seen that Bogra, Thakurgaon, Jhalakathi, Naogaon, Meherpur, Laxmipur, Manikganj, Pirojpur, Munshiganj and Dinajpur districts are at the forefront of Khatian delivery in the last month. Land related issues including manpower, Sairat Mahal, land management system, land office, inter-district border, survey etc. were discussed in the coordination meeting.