Changes in land acquisition policy to resettle displaced people: Mainul
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
The caretaker government (CG) is planning to bring massive changes in the present land acquisition policy and law with a view to ensuring resettlement of the displaced people, reports UNB.
Disclosing this Tuesday, Adviser for Law, Information and Land Mainul Hosein said the evicting authority must look into the human and economic aspects of the local people whom they would evict to implement a development project.
Because, through such eviction, people lose lands and also lose their profession, business, culture, heritage, language and many other things, he said while speaking as chief guest at a workshop on 'Development of a National Policy on Involuntary Resettlement'.
The land ministry organised the workshop, in cooperation with Asian Development Bank (ADB) under a technical assistance project of the bank at the BRAC Centre in the city Tuesday.
The present land acquisition policy and the relevant law ensured providing only monetary compensation in terms of land value if the land is acquired for a locally-funded project. But, in the case of donor-funded projects, the resettlement of the displaced people is covered along with monetary compensation.
Now, under the new move, the government will ensure both the monetary compensation and resettlement in both the domestically-and donor-funded projects.
The adviser said a consistent national policy and relevant
guidelines are desirable to minimise the risk of impoverishment of those displaced by development projects.
He said a huge population, who live in slums, came to cities, as victims of natural calamities like floods and river erosion.
"The resettlement issue of these people should be taken into consideration while the new policy is formulated", he added.
As the special guest, ADB Country Director Hua Du said the bank and other development agencies have 'safeguard policies' to minimise displacement and time-bound action plans for the resettlement of the affected people.
Appreciating the 'best practices' in dealing with the Jamuna
Multipurpose Bridge Project on resettlement issue, she said ADB would provide further assistance for implementation of the proposed involuntary resettlement project.
Law Secretary Moslem Uddin also spoke at the workshop.
Disclosing this Tuesday, Adviser for Law, Information and Land Mainul Hosein said the evicting authority must look into the human and economic aspects of the local people whom they would evict to implement a development project.
Because, through such eviction, people lose lands and also lose their profession, business, culture, heritage, language and many other things, he said while speaking as chief guest at a workshop on 'Development of a National Policy on Involuntary Resettlement'.
The land ministry organised the workshop, in cooperation with Asian Development Bank (ADB) under a technical assistance project of the bank at the BRAC Centre in the city Tuesday.
The present land acquisition policy and the relevant law ensured providing only monetary compensation in terms of land value if the land is acquired for a locally-funded project. But, in the case of donor-funded projects, the resettlement of the displaced people is covered along with monetary compensation.
Now, under the new move, the government will ensure both the monetary compensation and resettlement in both the domestically-and donor-funded projects.
The adviser said a consistent national policy and relevant
guidelines are desirable to minimise the risk of impoverishment of those displaced by development projects.
He said a huge population, who live in slums, came to cities, as victims of natural calamities like floods and river erosion.
"The resettlement issue of these people should be taken into consideration while the new policy is formulated", he added.
As the special guest, ADB Country Director Hua Du said the bank and other development agencies have 'safeguard policies' to minimise displacement and time-bound action plans for the resettlement of the affected people.
Appreciating the 'best practices' in dealing with the Jamuna
Multipurpose Bridge Project on resettlement issue, she said ADB would provide further assistance for implementation of the proposed involuntary resettlement project.
Law Secretary Moslem Uddin also spoke at the workshop.