Staff Reporter :
During a crucial inter-ministerial meeting focused on refining the draft of the Land Zoning and Protection Act, 2024, Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda emphasised the profound importance of agricultural land.
He articulated that farmland transcends its basic function of crop production, representing the very core of the nation’s economy and the foundation of its food security.
This statement set the tone for the gathering, held in the ministry’s conference room, which saw the attendance of key figures such as Land Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman, Md Abdus Sabur Mondal, Chairman of the Land Reform Board, AKM Shamimul Haque Siddique, Chairman of the Land Appeal Board, and Anis Mahmud, Director General of the Land Record and Survey Department, alongside other distinguished officials.
Highlighting the critical challenges of climate change and the rapid pace of industrialization and urbanisation, Minister Chanda relayed the Prime Minister’s urgency in enacting robust legislation to safeguard land, an asset unparalleled in value.
The proposed Land Zoning and Protection Act, 2024, conceived under the Prime Minister’s directive, aims to be a cornerstone in the realization of Smart Bangladesh, the achievement of sustainable development goals, and the support of extensive delta planning.
Minister Chanda outlined the law’s objectives with clarity: to curb the sprawl of unplanned urban development, regulate the construction of residential areas, buildings, and industrial facilities, and guide infrastructural growth; to conserve the environment while ensuring the continued cultivation of food crops, preserving the land’s inherent characteristics; to guarantee the systematic and optimal utilisation of land, safeguarding agricultural zones, forests, hillocks, rivers, canals, and water bodies; and to promote disciplined land use through strategic zoning.
This legislation, as described, is poised to orchestrate a harmonious balance between development and environmental stewardship, fostering agricultural prosperity, bolstering food security, and ensuring the prudent management of the nation’s land resources.
In a dedicated push towards sustainable and equitable land management, the Land Minister, Narayon Chandra Chanda, reaffirmed the government’s steadfast dedication during an assembly with representatives from various ministries.
The gathering marked a significant step towards the completion of the Land Zoning and Protection Act, 2024.
“We are on the verge of finalising a transformative piece of legislation,” the Minister announced, highlighting the incorporation of substantial revisions to the initial draft, inspired by a broad spectrum of feedback.
The minister also underscored the comprehensive impact anticipated from the legislation, touching virtually every sector of society.
“The collaboration and input from different governmental departments are invaluable to us.
It’s our collective aspiration that the final version of this law will significantly contribute to our agricultural vitality, fortify our food security, and uphold our environmental integrity,” he stated.
Elaborating on the specifics of the Act, Land Secretary Md. Khalilur Rahman detailed the strategic division of land into ten distinct categories.
This classification, devised from a blend of expert advice and public opinion, aims to encompass arable, residential, commercial, wetlands, rivers, forests, hills, roads, industrial, and religious areas. This meticulous categorization is part of a broader initiative named the ‘Mouza and plot-based National Digital Land Zoning Project’.
The project leverages advanced technology and detailed surveys to craft digital zoning maps, thereby laying a foundational blueprint for the nation’s spatial planning and development.
The Secretary made a concerted appeal to the ministries involved, urging them to submit their conclusive feedback on the draft law promptly.
This call to action seeks to ensure that all considerations are accounted for, aligning with the core principles envisaged for the legislation.
The meeting was a convergence of expertise and authority, with notable figures such as the Chief Technical Expert of the National Land Zoning Project, former Senior Secretary Dilawar Bakht, and Land Policy Specialist, former Grade 1 Officer Md. Hannan Mia, among the attendees.
More than 22 ministries and divisions, including the Cabinet Division, participated, signifying the wide-ranging interest and collaborative effort directed towards the realization of the Land Zoning and Protection Act, 2024.
