65pc households do not get proper services sans bribing land officers, study reveals

Around 65 per cent households do not get proper services without bribing the land officers, a study revealed.
It identified institutional failure as the key reason behind the poor and unexpected services delivery by local land offices and recommended ensuring free flow of land-related information for all.
Renowned economist Prof Abul Barkat unveiled the study findings Wednesday in the capital. Prof Barkat is also team leader of the study conducted under the project titled 'Sustainable Access to Land Equality (SALE)'.
SALE is the joint project of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), Uttaran and Care Bangladesh with financial support from the European Union.
Prominent economist Prof MM Akash and executive director of the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) Shamsul Huda, among others, spoke at the event while Daily Star Executive Editor Shahin Anam chaired the function.  
The study identified lack of access to land-related information, lengthy litigation procedures, unbridle corruption and inefficiency of the land officers to be the major hurdles to ensuring equitable and inclusion of poor, marginalised and women into the land market.    
Over the ten years, some 69.5 per cent households lost their land mainly because of land grabbing and river erosion under the project areas of which nearly 40 per cent were grabbed by the unscrupulous people while river erosion is responsible for 32 per cent loss.
Of the responding people, 16.9 per cent sold lands for the repayment of their loans, 15.7 per cent to bear the costs of marriage, 12.4 per cent to meet children's education and 12.4 per cent to meet medical expenses.
The study shows, over the same period, 24.8 per cent people purchased land to build homestead, 21 per cent to buy adjacent plot, 28.6 to increase income and 21.1 per cent to meet household food.
To face the challenges, the study team placed 10-point recommendations including easing land litigation process, eradication of corruption and increased efficiency of the land officials.
Other recommendations include, designing special credit and finance schemes by the public commercial banks, specialised banks and microfinance institutions so that marginalised people can keep their existing holdings.
The study also suggested initiation of the interest-free short-term bank loans for the group and taking effective mechanism for the retention of 'khas' land across the country.
It also underscored the need for increased coordination among the services providing agencies including sub-registrar's office and Tehsil offices to ensure transparency.         
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