Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke after inaugurating the “Land Service Fair-2026” at Bhumi Bhaban in Tejgaon in the capital on Tuesday. Photo: PMO

DHAKA, May 19, 2026 (BSS) – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today stressed that there is no alternative to transparent, accountable and people-friendly land management for building a just and modern state system.

“Providing services is not an act of charity toward the people; rather ensuring public services is the responsibility of the government,” he said after inaugurating a 3-day nationwide “Land Service Fair-2026” at the Bhumi Bhaban in the city’s Tejgaon area this morning.

In this context, he said, the main objective of his government is to establish a corruption-free, harassment-free, technology-driven, and citizen-friendly land management system that will further accelerate the country’s sustainable development.

He said, “Perhaps 100 years ago, a piece of land had only one owner. Over time, that same land may now have one hundred or more owners. As ownership and shared ownership of land have increased, naturally the responsibilities of land officials in maintaining proper records have also increased.”

Noting that landowners are more or less familiar with terms such as ownership, land tax, deeds, khatian, dag, porcha, mutation, mouza, CS, RS, and DS records, the premier said therefore, people had to visit land offices to keep their ownership records updated.

However, with technological advancement, land management has also become modernized, he added.

Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP chairman said that more modern and technology-based land management becomes easier to resolve land-related disputes.

“Ensuring online services in land management will significantly reduce public suffering related to land issues. At the same time, the influence of middlemen in land offices regarding land disputes will also decrease,” he said. 

Besides, he said the ongoing land fair will further raise public awareness about modern land management and citizens’ responsibilities.

The Prime Minister said as the country’s population increases, the amount of land per person is decreasing and as a result, the value of land is rising along with disputes, lawsuits and complexities related to land.

In many cases, he said, these disputes destroy peace within individuals and families and also create obstacles to national development activities. In such a reality, planned land use, accurate record preservation, and efficient management have become demand of the time.

Stating that the Ministry of Land is working to prepare accurate land records through advanced technology-based surveys, Tarique Rahman said almost all services of the land administration  are being brought under digital platforms to make services easier, faster, and more effective for citizens.

“Our goal is to build a land management system where people no longer have to run from office to office or face corruption and harassment to receive land services,” he said.

Noting that the government is working to modernize the country’s land management system, the premier said, “We mentioned in our 31-point reform outline announced years before the national election and in our latest election manifesto that we will organize land service fairs across the country and modernizing land management for public benefit.”

“Through this three-day nationwide land fair beginning today, the government has fulfilled another election pledge made to the people,” he said, adding, the government is moving forward with the politics of fulfilling promises made to citizens by implementing every point of the election manifesto one after another.

The government wants to be accountable to the people with people-friendly programmes in every area, not just in land-related matters, the Prime Minister said, adding that the people of the country, after enduring more than one and a half decades of fascist rule and exploitation, now want to see their rights reflected in the state and politics.

Therefore, from the very first week of taking office, the present government has focused on gradually implementing every point of the election manifesto and the July Charter, he added.

Stating that more than 47 lakh civil and criminal cases are currently pending in courts across the country, with land-related cases accounting for the majority, Tarique Rahman said, “Therefore, one of the government’s top priorities right now is the swift disposal of cases pending in the courts.”

He further stressed the importance of using legal alternatives outside conventional courts, such as village courts and ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), to settle land disputes. 

“This would reduce the time needed for dispute resolution and, in many cases, prevent disputes from turning into long-term hostility,” he added.

Referring to a quote by Albert Einstein on alternative dispute resolution, the Prime Minister said, “Albert Einstein said, ‘Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding’.”

“If alternative dispute resolution methods especially through conciliation, mediation, and arbitration, can be implemented in land-related or civil cases, on the one hand, the backlog of pending cases in court will be reduced, and on the other hand, it will be easier to resolve land-related disputes within quickest possible time,” he added.

Land is not just a piece of property; it represents security, stability, livelihood, and the foundation of the future for people, the premier said, adding, realizing this, the current government is working to deliver state services to people’s doorsteps with a commitment to making land management free from corruption and harassment.

The Prime Minister expressed the hope that people across all districts and upazilas would be benefitted from the land fair as the fair includes facilities for e-mutation applications, online land development tax payments, record corrections, collection of khatians, and resolution of land-related complaints.

Land Minister Md Mizanur Rahman Minu presided over the inaugural ceremony while State Minister for Land Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin and Land Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed spoke on the occasion.