Time Digital Report: Jatiya Party MP Pir Fazlur Rahman, referring to a government land acquisition deal involving the health minister and his family, said rampant corruption is going on in the country's land acquisition sector.
While participating in the discussion on the "State Acquisition and Tenancy (Amendment) Bill, 2023, today, the opposition MP, terming the report against Health Minister Zahid Maleque as "regrettable", demanded the land minister look into the corruption in the sector.
Pir Fazlur Rahman said major corruption is happening in districts where there is a land acquisition section. He said it's understandable that land needs to be acquired for various development projects taken by the government. But the government has to tackle corruption there.
Referring to the recently published report in a newspaper, the JP MP said the minister and his children bought land in Manikganj before it was acquired by the government to set up a factory of Essential Drugs, a state-run company.
He said it has become a practice by some people with prior knowledge to purchase land on proposed project sites to profit in hundreds of crores.
"It is sad that allegations were raised against our health minister in the newspaper regarding land acquisition," he said
According to the opposition MP, the minister bought 6.39 acres, his son bought 3.12 acres, his daughter bought 11.14 acres, and one of his brothers-in-law bought 5.54 acres of land near the project site.
The JP MP said that earlier a report termed the land acquisition office in Cox's Bazar a corruption hub. According to reports, the office used to take 15 per cent commission.
Urging the land minister to take action, Pir Fazlur Rahman said these incidents are shameful when the prime minister is carrying out development activities.
WHAT THE BILL SAYS
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury placed the bill which was passed by voice vote.
The bill has a provision for a tribunal. At the district level, an assistant judge or a senior assistant judge can be given the authority to settle cases, while the district judge can act as the appeal authority until a formal tribunal is formed as per the draft law.
As per the proposed law, until such a judge is appointed, the government may empower a joint district judge in each district as the judge of the Land Survey Tribunal of the district.
The proposed law mentioned that joint district judge empowered shall be deemed to be the judge of the Land Survey Tribunal appointed under the sub-section.
It said that the government may, if necessary, appoint one or more senior assistant judge or assistant judge as a judge of the Land Survey Tribunal to dispose of suits transferred by the judge of the Land Survey Tribunal appointed or empowered.
The government shall appoint the judge of the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal from the district judges.
Until such a judge is appointed, the government may empower the district judge as the judge of the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal of the district.
