Dhaka — Bangladesh's Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury has inaugurated an online hearing system of the Land Revenue Court in the conference room of the land ministry on Wednesday.
The minister said at the time that ‘Land service in the palm of the hand' is no longer just a slogan but a reality. The introduction of an online hearing system in the Land Revenue Court will reduce harassment and suffering of the people as well as save time.
The land minister also said that the online hearing system has been set up to build a technology-based modern and sustainable land revenue judicial system keeping in view the objective of an efficient, transparent, accountable, and people-oriented land management system. As a result, the fellow citizens will be able to take part in the hearing of the land case sitting at home.
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury called upon all to register to pay land development tax online and hoped that Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would officially inaugurate several more land services including an online LD tax system soon.
He said the result of the ‘Digital Bangladesh' of the 2008 election manifesto is today's real Digital Bangladesh.
Chair of the program Land Secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman PAA said the security of the case hearing will be ensured through NID number and mobile verification.
He also spoke that Kiosks (booths) will be set up at various important places including shopping malls and stations across the country to provide land service as per the plan of the land minister.
Land Appeal Board Chairman Md. Mashiur Rahman, Land Reforms Board Chairman Md Mostafa Kamal, Director General of Land Record and Survey Department Md. Taslimul Islam NDC, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Land Pradip Kumar Das, and Muhammad Salehuddin were present among others.
All Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of Bangladesh and local stakeholders participated in the inaugural function through video conferencing. At the time, the Deputy Commissioner of Chapainawabganj and the President of the Chapainawabganj District Bar Association expressed their hope for the positive impact of the online hearing in the land court at the field level.
It is to be noted that the government has introduced online hearings in the judicial procedure of land courts to build a modern and sustainable land revenue system based on technology. The Ministry of Land has issued a circular in this regard. Necessary steps have been taken to ensure online hearings in addition to the existing system in the judicial proceedings of all land revenue courts in the country by following the Use of Information Technology by Court Act, 2020 (Act No. 11 of 2020). The service is being rolled out in the 61 districts of the country except in Bandarban, Rangamati & Khagrachhari Hill districts.
Land revenue related court conducted by the Assistant Commissioner (Land), Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) and Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue), Settlement/survey related court conducted by Assistant Settlement Officer and Settlement Officer, Appellate related court conducted by Land Appeal Board (Chairman and members) — Online hearings has been introduced in the judicial proceedings of these quasi-judicial courts.
Cases such as Mutation, Consolidation/separation of holding, miscellaneous cases, settlement, record correction, objections, appeals, etc. will be included in the online hearing procedure. Online hearing management framework website address is: acl-dc-db.fihs.school. By visiting this website, a citizen can request an online hearing by providing the necessary information.
