Ministry of Land setting up online payment system for all land-related fees

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Land and Payment Gateway Channel Service Providers Upay, Nagad and Bkash, and Banking Services Providers United Commercial Bank (UCB) to set up a system with the facility of online payment of all land-related fees at the conference room of the Ministry of Land today, Monday. Land Secretary Md. Mustafizur Rahman PAA and Land Reforms Board Chairman Md Mostafa Kamal were present at the time. The Land Reform Board under the Ministry of Land is implementing this program.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Land Additional Secretary Pradip Kumar Das has signed the MoU on behalf of the land ministry, and UCB AMD Arif Quadri, Upay CEO Sydul H Khandaker, Nagad COO Ashish Chakraborty, and Bkash GM SM Belal Ahmed have signed the MOU on behalf of their respective companies.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said at the event that the purpose of setting up a system to pay all the fees including land development tax, mutation fee, Records of Right (Khaitan) fee online is to bring land services to the doorsteps of the people. The less the Human-to-Human touch, the less corruption there will be - he added.

Referring to 'Hon'ble Prime Minister's Digital Bangladesh' is no longer a dream but a reality, the Land Minister further said, we are sustainably changing the 'system' in the land sector so that there will be no room for corruption. He expressed his determination to work towards establishing efficient, transparent, and people-oriented land management.

Referring to the role of the media in the development of land services, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said that the media is simultaneously a development partner of the government and as well as a 'Watchdog'. It would help in positive decision-making at the policy-making level if the real picture of the land management in the country, especially that of the field level', is positively reflected on the mass media - the land minister said while expressing a view.

The land minister also said that there are plans to set up Kiosks (booths) at various important places including shopping malls and stations across the country to provide a Record of Rights (ROR).

Land Secretary Md. Mustafizur Rahman PAA said that landowners must register to avail the facility of paying land development tax and fees online. For this, a citizen has to complete the registration in the LD tax system first. Registration could be completed with NID number, mobile phone number, and date of birth on the online portal land.gov.bd or www.ldtax.gov.bd. Also, registration could be done through any Union Digital Center by using a NID card or by calling the call center number 333 or 16122 and providing them NID number, date of birth, and land information.

The Land Reform Board chairman informed that about 5 crore families would benefit from the signing of today's MOU. The officials of the partner financial service providing companies highly praised in their speech the efforts of the Ministry of Land in building digital land management. Senior officials from the Ministry of Land, UCB, Upay, Nagad, and Bkash attended the MOU ceremony among others.