Land Adviser Ali Imam Majumder. File Photo

DHAKA, Oct 7, 2025 (BSS) – Land Adviser Ali Imam Majumder today said the agricultural land is not only an area of production but it also a part of livelihood, culture and life of the economy and protecting the arable land has now become a national challenge.

“Arable land is gradually reducing due mainly to uncontrolled urbanization, industrialization and extension of infrastructures  . . . so, protecting arable land has now become a national challenge,” he said.

The adviser came up with the remarks while addressing as a chair a draft review meeting on "Land Zoning and Agricultural Land Protection Ordinance, 2025" at the land ministry conference room here.

He said local food security, employment and rural stability directly depend on arable land, adding that land zoning is now being considered as an effective and ethical weapon to ensure arable land protection and proper use of land.

The land ministry is going to enact "Land Zoning and Agricultural Land Protection Ordinance, 2025" for resolving the problem of reduction of arable land and illegal or inappropriate use of arable land in Bangladesh, he noted. 

The objective of the ordinance is to maintaining a balance among environment, protection of arable land, planned land zoning and thus ensure food security.

It is not an administrative responsibility, it also a vital condition for the national sustainable development, said the land adviser. “If we can ensure the best use of land through proper policy, creating awareness and using technology, then an environment friendly and prosperous Bangladesh can be built,” he added. 

The ordinance contains 14 categories of land zoning and all types of arable land should be protected under the new drafted ordinance, he said. 

Arable land would not be allowed to use in other purposes without permission. The new ordinance has a provision of imposing fine from one to five lakh taka and awarding imprisonment for committing any offense regarding use of land. The government is working for quick implementation of the ordinance.

Home affairs adviser Lt Gen (retd) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Housing and Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Environment, forest and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan spoke at the event as the special guests.

Land ministry’s senior secretary ASM Saleh and other senior ministry officials, among others, attended the meeting.