Bribery blocks vested property return:Daily Sun

Incidents of massive bribery and forgery are taking place over the mutation of government land not in its possession and the vested property under the “Kha” schedule annulled through gazette. According to sources, by concluding the mutation with the help of forged deeds, some people have become owners of the land originally owned by others. The real owner could not be the owner of the land due to

their inability to ensure mutation in exchange for a large amount of bribe. Meanwhile, fresh complication has arisen over the property enlisted in the “Kha” schedule as the deadline for mutation is going to expire this month. As per law, in case of failure to conclude mutation, the property under the “Kha” schedule will come under the government in the head of khatian No-1. Dr Abul Barakat has shown in one of his research paper that 60 lakh people of 12 lakh minority families of the country have been affected by this law over the last four decades. They have lost over 26 lakh acres of land. Whereas, major portion of this land has not been included under the khatian in the name of the present real owner due to corruption. Many of the land owners are unable to complete the mutation because of their inability to meet the demand for bribe. It is learnt from the district administration sources at Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Munshiganj that there are huge “Kha” schedule-listed properties in these four districts. The mutation of huge land is yet to be done while the deadline for the same has expired. If the time is not extended by the land ministry, all these properties will go under the “khas khatian.” As a result, fresh land dispute and cases will start and the purpose of the annulment of “Kha” schedule will be foiled.