DHAKA, August 4, (V7N) - Land Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar today stated that if acquired land is not used for its intended purpose, it must be returned to the District Administrator.
He made this point at the first meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on 'Utilization and Restoration of Acquired, Unused and Occupied Land,' held at the Land Ministry's conference room and chaired by the Land Adviser himself. "It is very important to restore acquired, unused and occupied land," he said, emphasizing the need for proper land use given that the country's land area is shrinking.

Majumdar suggested that land belonging to government institutions that are no longer operational, such as former post offices, telephone exchanges, and telegraph offices in districts, upazilas, and villages, could be recovered and brought back under government control. He highlighted the significant benefits of recovering unused and encroached land, stating, "This will help increase the economic growth of the state, create employment, help ensure food security, increase land revenue and play a positive role in planned urbanization as well."

The meeting was attended by other advisers, including Adilur Rahman Khan of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, who advises both the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and the Ministry of Railways. Fouzul Kabir Khan recommended that information on acquired, unused, and encroached land be obtained directly from district administrators. He also suggested that even if a government institution needs land, it should be purchased at its actual market price, not a nominal one. He added that if necessary, laws should be amended and new policies formulated to facilitate this.

The meeting also included a decision to co-opt Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, into the committee. Senior officials present at the meeting included Land Ministry Senior Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed, Road Transport and Highways Division Senior Secretary Md Ehsanul Haque, Bridges Division Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Agriculture Ministry Secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Water Resources Ministry Secretary Nazmul Ahsan, and the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner.

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