‘Land Ownership Certificate’ to Launch from July—No More Need for Deeds to Prove Ownership

To make land management fully digital and automated, the government is set to implement a new initiative starting July this year. As part of this initiative, citizens will be able to access 17 land-related services from the comfort of their homes. Furthermore, multiple documents will no longer be required to prove land ownership—one single “Land Ownership Certificate” will be sufficient.

According to the Ministry of Land, the project titled “Land Management Automation” is nearing completion. Under this project, 17 digital services are being introduced, including:

e-Mutation

Review and appeal case management

Online land development tax

Rent certificate cases

Mutated records of rights (Khatiyan)

Digital land records

Mouza map delivery

Miscellaneous case management

Khas land management

Civil case data

Hat-bazaar and waterbody management

Sand and tea garden management

Vested property management

Land acquisition

Internal budgeting, etc.

These services will be integrated into a single interoperable database under a software framework called “Land Information Service Framework”, enabling synchronization with other government services. Additionally, the government is planning to introduce a “Land Smart Card”, which will carry the verified identity of the actual landowner. With this card, there will be no need to present traditional documents to prove ownership. Provisions for this initiative were included in the “Land Ownership and Usage Act, 2023”, though it is yet to be enforced. Sources from the Ministry of Land stated that a revised procurement plan has been approved for the 2024–25 fiscal year with a budget of Tk 915.9 crore. The software and necessary hardware will be provided to 5,247 land offices across the country, and relevant personnel will receive training. These decisions were finalized at the 16th meeting of the project, chaired by Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Land, Md. Emdadul Haque Chowdhury. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Planning has also confirmed that both the Land Management Automation Project and the Digital Survey Project will be completed by June 30.

Additional Secretary Emdadul Haque Chowdhury said,

> “The government is giving special importance to four areas—online mutation, online records of rights (Porcha), online maps, and online land certificates. These services will be fully launched across the country starting in July. We are also working to integrate them with other government institutions to make the system more citizen-friendly.”

Stakeholders believe that the implementation of this project will usher in a new era in the country’s land services.