A recent news report has uncovered that 19.06 acres of government land in the capital’s Mirpur area, worth Tk4bn, has been left open for misappropriation. This serious neglect and misuse of government property not only raises serious questions about the government’s ability to manage state resources but also reminds us of how serious a problem land-grabbing has become in Bangladesh.
It was alleged that several land grabbers have already sold different portions of the government land as their own and some portions of land have even been sold several times.
Land is one of the most valuable commodities in Bangladesh. Given the serious lack of resources that our government faces in even providing basic services, such wanton waste of such a valuable source of income is unconscionable.
Illegal land appropriation not only affects the landowners, it has larger repercussions for the economy as a whole. Security of private property, such as land, is essential to encourage investment and eco-nomic development.
Incidents of land-grabbing often go unpunished. In some cases the identities of the perpetrators are widely known and yet they escape justice. The responsible government bodies also turn a blind eye to land-grabbing incidents.
The fact that even government land can be misappropriated with such ease demonstrates the envi-ronment of impunity in which land grabbers are allowed to operate.
Land-grabbing is a serious and long-standing problem in Bangladesh. It is time for the government to set a strong precedent by bringing the perpetrators to justice.
