DHAKA, July 14, 2024 (BSS)-Land Secretary Md. Khalilur Rahman today said special concession Salami (rent) rates are being considered for the educational and religious institutions established on leased government properties under the Vested Property Return Act. 

He made these remarks while presiding over a workshop on 'Allotment of uniform Khatian (Record of Rights/ROR) number into government property as per section 26 of the Vested Property Return Act, 2001 and re-determination of salami (rent) rate of the temporary lease of vested property' at the conference room of his ministry at the Bangladesh Secretariat here.

The workshop was attended by Land Appeal Board Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim, Land Reforms Board Chairman Md Abdus Sabur Mandal, Director General of Land Records and Survey Department Anis Mahmud, along with the officials from the ministry and its subordinate offices and agencies, said a press release of the ministry.

Land Secretary Khalilur Rahman said as per the directives of Land Minister Narayan Chandra Chanda, the Ministry of Land has been working with multifaceted goals. 

“One of our goals is to establish the land sector as an important efficient sector of revenue collection of the government. At the same time, ensuring the benefits of smart land management for the people of the marginalised and underprivileged areas of the country is also our priority,” he said. 

The Land Secretary said these initiatives will bring qualitative changes to the land sector, which will also play an important role in the overall economic development of the country.

At today's workshop, a plan was adopted to register the vested properties listed in Schedule ‘Ka’ under a unified new ROR across the country for proper management. Additionally, the decision to reassess the rent rate for temporary leases of the vested properties was taken. Reassessing the rent rate after a certain period is a regular activity. This time, for the first time, special concession rates are being considered for the educational and religious institutions.

Notably, to alleviate public suffering related to the vested property, under the directives of the land minister has already issued two important circulars.

According to one of these circulars, if a plot listed in the Record of Rights consists of both vested property and privately owned land, the portion designated as privately owned will undergo mutation, and regular land development tax will be collected accordingly. The Ministry of Land has issued a circular regarding this matter.

According to another circular issued at the same time, for cancelled schedule 'Kha' properties whose ownership has been proven in favor of the applicant through court decisions or with valid proofs and documents, the ownership of those properties will be transferred in favor of the applicant by correcting the Record of Rights of those properties. Additionally, measures will be taken to accrue cancelled schedule 'Kha' properties for which no claimant to ownership exists under 'Khas' land.