Rights groups warned the government against any new inclusion in the vested properties list through amendment of the related law or publication of gazette saying it would be “illegal”.
From a press conference yesterday at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, nine rights groups also threatened tougher movement if an amendment proposal tabled recently in the cabinet was passed.
They placed 10-point demands that include taking action against the officials involved in proposing the new amendment and the corrupt officials who were hindering the implementation of the Vested Properties (Return) Act 2001 (amended in 2013).
The other demands include resolving the pending applications in the appeal tribunals as soon as possible, forming special tribunal for the disposal of appeals against the verdicts of the tribunals, implementation of the verdicts given on behalf of the victims and issuing a notification by the Law Ministry to stop wasting time in resolving the applications.
Ain O Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Nijera Kori, Human Development Research Centre, Association for Land Reforms and Development, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, Orpita Sampatti Ain Pratirodh Andolon, Sammilita Samajik Andolon and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.
Subrata Chowdhury, general secretary of Orpita Sampatti Ain Pratirodh Andolon, in his keynote paper said there were around 2.5 lakh acres of land under “Ka” schedule while 5 lakh acres under “Kha” category.
“The ‘Kha’ schedule lands are not be vested properties. But the government officials are not taking taxes for those lands. If the officials are successful in showing that taxes are not paid for one year, then the property will be considered as government land. This is a conspiracy to grab those lands,” he alleged.
Kajal Debnath, president of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, said: “The rate of resolving applications at the appeal tribunals in many districts including Sylhet, Manikganj and Habiganj is very slow. In some districts, formation and activities of tribunals have not started yet while the affected people are facing harassment.”
Sultana Kamal, executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra, said: “When the victims go to the AC (land) office and union-level land or schedule office for mutation, the officers concerned are demanding huge money by giving wrong explanation of the Act. Some corrupt officials are applying tricks so that the original owners do not get back their lands.”
Khushi Kabir, co-ordinator of Nijera Kori, and Shamsul Huda, executive director of ALRD, were also present at the programme.