Over 18.66m land records digitised in 21 districts

Over 18.66 million land records of rights (RORs) of CS (cadastral survey), SA (state acquisition survey), RS (revitionel survey), and diara surveys are now available in digital record rooms in the country's 21 districts, according to a land ministry statement.
The people of 21 districts-- Dhaka, Faridpur, Narsingdi, Gopalganj, Tangail, Shariatpur, Kishoreganj, Madaripur, Narayanganj, Rajbari, Manikganj, Chattogram, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Panchagarh, Kurigram, Rangpur and Sirajganj-- now can avail the service digitally, according to the statement issued on Wednesday.
The information was unveiled at an inaugural function on the conversion of citizen service of record rooms to e-service or digital service in those districts to build a digital Bangladesh at the conference room of the land ministry with the theme 'Land service in hand'.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury was present at the function as the chief guest while Senior Secretary of Land Ministry Md Muksodur Rahman Patwary chaired the programme.
Earlier, Head of the Land Service Digitisation Monitoring Cell Md Doulutuzzaman Khan presented an illustrated report on the technology and progress of Digital Record Room.
Land Minister Saifuzzaman in the statement said the digital record room will reduce harassment in the collection of land records of rights (ROR).
The number of visits to the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) to collect ROR will be reduced. Besides, there will be no more harassment of touts, the minister said in a statement.
A total of 98,445 RORs were published mouza-wise under various surveys. One has to come to the DC office only to collect a certified copy by applying for ROR. The Department of Land Records and Surveys, in collaboration with Access to Information (a2i) Programme, has set up a digital record room, the statement reads.
The land minister further said that along with online ROR, we are working for an online automated certified copy of the ROR.
"Working towards vision with sincerity and honesty, we have been one of the top five ministries today in terms of efficiency," he said.
Expressing hope that the digital record room would be completed in the whole country by next year, the land minister further said, "Under the direction of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we want to establish the Ministry of Land as the address of people's trust. I believe we are on the right track."
Responding to a reporter's question on digital security, the land minister said, "We are working very cautiously on cybersecurity. We have already written to the government's Public Security Division and ICT Division to assist us in this regard."
Responding to another question, the minister said, "We are working sustainably so that the basic system can move at its own pace irrespective of people's future."
Senior Secretary of Land Ministry Md Muksodur Rahman Patwary chaired the programme.
Mr Patwary said that this year the team of the Ministry of Land won the 'Digital Bangladesh Award 2020' for providing online ROR and creating digital record rooms.
Director-General of Land Record and Survey Department Md Taslimul Islam and Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Md Mostafizur Rahman spoke at the programme directly while and a2i Project Director Dr Md Abdul Mannan and Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Md Asib Ahsan spoke by Zoom video conference software, among others.
Chairman of Land Appeal Board Ummul Hasna, Chairman of Land Reform Board Md Yakub Ali Patwary, and other senior officials of land ministry were present.
Besides, a number of field level officials including the concerned divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated at the inaugural function through Zoom video conferencing.
The record rooms of the remaining 40 districts (excluding the three hill districts) will be gradually launched as digital record rooms.
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