WB to help modernise land registration system

19 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

World Bank (WB) Group will extend its cooperation to the government for modernisation of land registration system in Bangladesh, says a press release yesterday. WB officials will prepare a concept paper of a project in this connection soon after negotiations with law ministry and department of land registration. Edward C Cook, senior land administration specialist of WB, and Chapal Chowdhury, consultant of International Finance Corporation (IFC), expressed their interest to cooperate with the government. They said this at a meeting with Law Minister Shafique Ahmed at his office the same day. Welcoming the proposal, the minister assured them of providing cooperation to prepare the concept paper of the project. The government is working to digitise land registration and land record system, he said, adding that one-stop service has been introduced as part of this initiative. Mohammad Shahidul Haque, acting secretary to legislative and parliament affairs division, Anwarul Haque, secretary to law and justice affairs division, Munshi Nazrul Islam, inspector general of registration department, and Aniruddha Sengupta, representative of Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund were present. Meanwhile, Shafique also held a meeting with visiting Director of International Centre for Transitional Justice Patrick Burgess and Deputy Director of Criminal Trial Programme Caitliln Reiger. During the meeting, the minister informed them of different initiatives taken to try war criminals and expressed the government's determination for maintaining international standards and transparency in the trial process. Trustee of Liberation War Museum Mafidul Haque was present at that time. After the meeting, the minister told newsmen that they shared experience on what necessary initiatives can be taken for proper trial. Cooperation from foreign organisations will help the government complete the trial process properly, he added.