Agriculture to be mechanised through multipurpose cooperatives: PM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government will mechanise the agriculture through multipurpose rural cooperatives to boost production of food and other crops.

"We are taking an initiative to mechanise the agriculture through multipurpose rural cooperatives system which was initially taken up by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib," she said.

The prime minister was addressing the three-day first-ever National Land Conference 2023 along with launching seven initiatives of the land ministry.

The programme was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) with Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in the chair.

The conference (March 29-31) will focus on the role of the land ministry in building a smart Bangladesh and to find out the future challenges of digitization of land services.

Other objectives of the conference include informing citizens, government agencies, and stakeholders about the steps taken by the land ministry, creating awareness among them about land management, and giving an idea about the existing laws and regulations related to land.

One of the seven initiatives that the prime minister is set to inaugurate is the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Monument and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Guchchagram Complex.

The remaining 6 initiatives include Registration-Mutation Interconnection, Smart Land Map, Smart Land Records, Smart Land Pedia, Smart Land Service Center, and Union Land Office.

Hasina said that under the planned cooperatives system one portion of the harvest will go to the owners of the lands, one portion to the engaged labourers while one portion to the government.

She mentioned that the government will utilise its portion for the land preservation and maintenance.

"Already, the cooperatives ministry has been instructed to make a policy regarding this matter. We want that," she said.

She also said that there will be no demarcation separating one plot of land from another. But there will be no problem regarding the ownership of the lands as digital mapping will specify the ownership.

"Although there will be no demarcation, all lands will be cultivated collectively, as there will be digital map, ownership will be specifically indicated, owners will get their share as per their lands' proportion," she narrated.

The PM said that if this system is established the people of Bangladesh will never be poor and hungry and they will not suffer from food scarcity.

"We will not need to beg to anyone for foods, rather we will be able to help others," she said.

Hasina said that from Pahela Boishakh 1430 (April 14, 2023) the land development tax across the country will be fully collected through online.

She said that Awami League is the servant of the people as it emerged from the struggle to materialise the rights of the people.

"From the very beginning Awami League is continuing its struggle to establish the rights of the people. And while in power we are doing our job with the motto of serving the people," she said.

She mentioned that the government has taken steps to remove the land-related hassles that created problems among the family members.

"Our aim is to ensure the welfare of the people. Many people face many problems while taking land related services, Inshallah in the digital and smart Bangladesh people will not suffer anymore. We want that all sorts of irregularities will be removed from Bangladesh."

The prime minister put emphasis on the proper sharing of wealth and lands among the successors to avoid future complexities.

"The shares of the successors can be specified through digital means solving many family problems," she said.

Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Anisul Haq, Law secretary Md Golam Sarwar, Land secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman and Assistant Land Commissioner Rajbari Noor Jahan Alther Sathi also spoke at the programme.

The second and third day events of the conference will be held at BIAM Foundation in the capital.