Vested Property Return (Amendment) Act
Call to frame rules to implement law
Some NGO activists and leaders of religious minority communities yesterday demanded formulation of specific rules to implement the Vested Property Return (amendment) Act, 2011, to protect the rights of the minority communities.
They placed the demand at a press conference jointly organised by the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, Arpito Sompotti Ain Protirodh Andolon and several NGOs at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity.
The government has taken an outstanding initiative to end the long sufferings of religious minorities through passing the act. But it requires specific rules to execute the act properly, they said.
The government passed the act on November 28, 2011 in parliament.
Reading out a written statement, Arpito Sompotti Ain Protirodh Andolon General Secretary Subrata Chowdhury demanded formation of tribunals and special committees at district level to dispose of the cases related to vested property.
He also demanded the return of those vested properties, which are occupied by the government, to their real owners or their co-sharers.
Only the properties which were declared vested before March 23, 1974, should be included in the vested property list and a gazette should be published on it, opined Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of the parishad.
He also suggested introducing such a system so that the successors or anyone of the community related to the real owners of any vested property can get the privilege to buy the property for a token sum of money.
The other demands include issuing two gazettes separating government-occupied vested properties and individually-occupied properties and launching a massive campaign through the media to create awareness about the act.
Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir was also present at the press conference.
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