Eminent citizens and representatives of different organisations have called for a hassle-free swift implementation of the Vested Property Return Act and urged the government to punish the troublemakers.
In a joint statement under the banner of “National Coordination Cell for Implementing the Vested Property Act,” they expressed their concern about the hurdles that have to be cleared before the law is implemented.
The statement said the controversial “schedule Kha,” and different district and divisional committees related to the schedule, were scrapped by the passing of the Vested Property Return Act (second amendment) 2013.
To implement this act, the land ministry, on November 20 last year, issued a circular related to the scrapped schedule Kha, while another circular was published the following day that asked for the annulment the previous circular and the start of activities related to updating the taxes on properties and the cancellation of names.
However, some land administration officials have misinterpreted the circular and suspended the activities mentioned in the act, resulting in hundreds of victims being denied any benefit from the law.
The vested property that was not under the control of the government was in the “Schedule Kha.”
The statement added that the law was not implemented in the capital.
Earlier in a revenue related meeting of the Dhaka district administration, on December 18 last year, it was stated that the circulars were contradictory to the main law; so, the assistant commissioner’s (land) office suspended all implementation of the law.
There have also been allegations that land ministry officials are “intentionally” creating the problem (Source: the Kaler Kantho, January 3, 2013).
The signatories to the statement included Executive Director of Ain o Salish Kendro Sultana Kamal, Coordinator of Aso Nijera Kori Khushi Kabir, President of Vested Property Act Protest Movement Kamal Lohani and its General Secretary Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, General Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad Advocate Rana Dasgupta, Honorary Director of Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust Sara Hossain, Prof Abul Barakat of Dhaka University, Executive Director of Association for Land Reform and Development Shamsul Huda, General Secretary of Sommilito Samajik Andolon Advocate Tobarok Hossain and General Secretary of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad Manindra Kumar Nath.
