The Ministry of Land (MoL) will issue a circular next week asking its officials to submit their wealth statements by next month.
Earlier, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury during a view-exchange meeting with journalists at the Chittagong Press Club on Saturday asked the officials (from grade 20 to grade 11) of all land offices to submit statements of their respective movable and immovable properties by February 28.
"We've taken measures to ensure discipline in the land sector. And this will help us to do that," the minister told the FE at his secretariat office on Thursday.
He observed that it will not be possible to change anything overnight.
"We're hopeful that we'll be able to make the land offices corruption free gradually," he said.
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury sought cooperation from all to implement this initiative of his ministry.
Talking to the FE, a land ministry official who is involved in the process said they are working to issue the circular either on Sunday or Monday next.
Corruption is rampant at the grassroots level land offices and the commoners ultimately have to bear the brunt for this, according to the sufferers.
People have to give bribe to the dishonest officials and employees to get land related services.
The amount of bribe depends on the type of services and quantity and locations of the land.
The government over the past several years has taken some positive initiatives to check graft and ensure hassle-free services at the land offices.
There are a lot to do to check graft and ensure hassle-free services in the land offices.
People have to give bribe to get different types of services -- Tk 100 to Tk 10,000 for land development tax, Tk 5,000 to Tk 2 lakh for mutation, Tk 1,000 to Tk 50,000 for land registration and Tk 10,000 to Tk 20 lakh for lease of a haat or bazaar (marketplace), according to a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report titled "Land Management and Services: Challenge of Good Governance and Way Forward."
TIB called upon the government to make the land offices at the grassroots level free from corruption.
Meanwhile, land rights activists have urged the government to ensure accountability and transparency in the land sector.
In a statement, they appreciated the land minister's move and requested him to try his best to implement the initiative.
They called upon the MoL to discuss with the non-government organisations and civil society members and take suggestions from them and the sufferers.
They also hailed the minister's decision to pay a sudden visit to the land offices.
Human rights activist Sultana Kamal, president of Vested Property Law Protection Cell Kamal Lohani, Dhaka University Professor Abul Barakat, Nijera Kori coordinator Khushi Kabir, Bangladesh Hindu- Bhuddist- Christian Oikya Parishad general secretary Rana Das Gupta, ALRD executive director Shamsul Huda and legal adviser of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust SM Rezaul Karim were among the signatories to the statement.
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