Land Ministry's Senior Secretary A S M Saleh Ahmed today spoke at the conference room of the Ministry of Land. Photo : PID

DHAKA, Sept 4, 2025 (BSS) - Land Ministry's Senior Secretary A S M Saleh Ahmed today said the majority of land-related complications in Bangladesh stem from a lack of public knowledge and awareness, noting that nearly 80 percent of all legal cases in the country are linked to land disputes. 

He made these remarks while speaking at a learning session titled "Orientation on Various Land Laws and the Process of Responding to Writ Petitions" at the conference room of the Ministry of Land, according to a ministry press release. 

The senior secretary said that legal disputes are directly linked to land ownership, possession, transfer, and other related conflicts. Such issues are typically brought before civil or criminal courts. 

Through these legal proceedings, rightful land ownership is determined, illegal occupation is challenged, and land-related rights are established, he added. 

He also said that it is essential for everyone working under the Ministry of Land to have a thorough understanding of land laws, as the ministry is responsible for safeguarding property rights, preventing fraud and illegal occupation, resolving disputes, and ensuring access to compensation and rehabilitation in relevant cases. 

Mentioning that service delivery in all these areas falls under the purview of the ministry, he said "Knowledge of land law also protects landowners from unlawful eviction and helps them understand the proper legal processes regarding their property." 

The Senior Secretary said that due to the increasing value of land, rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, rising demand for housing, industrial expansion, infrastructure development, and natural causes, the nature and usage patterns of land across the country are constantly changing. 

Vast areas of agricultural land, forests, hills, and wetlands are being degraded, leading to a steady decline in arable land for food production and causing serious environmental consequences, he pointed out.

To address these challenges, he said a number of land laws have been enacted with the objectives of ensuring proper land use, preventing land-related crimes, halting illegal occupation and fraud, controlling unlawful land reclassification, and securing legal ownership. 

The senior secretary highlighted the key land-related legislations include the Land Crime Prevention and Remedy Act, 2023, the Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act, 2017, the Land Reform Act, the Registration Act, 1908 (amended in 2023), and the draft Land Zoning and Protection Act, 2024.

The ministry's additional secretaries Md. Delowar Hossain, Md. Shariful Islam, Saima Yunus, Md. Abdur Rouf, and Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, among others, were present.