State Minister for Land Mir Helal orders action against Narayanganj land office staff over attendance fraud

NARAYANGANJ — State Minister for Land Mir Helal conducted a surprise inspection of the Narayanganj Sadar Land Office on Monday, where he discovered widespread absenteeism and evidence of administrative fraud among staff.

Arriving at the facility at 8:25 a.m., the minister found that the majority of officials and employees had failed to report for duty by the scheduled start time of 9:00 a.m. The office complex houses the Narayanganj Sadar Revenue Circle, as well as the Fatullah and Siddirganj Revenue Circle offices. During the inspection, the Assistant Commissioners (Land), kanungos, and most other staff members were notably absent from their stations.

Upon reviewing the attendance registers, the minister identified signatures for August 31 already marked in advance, despite the individuals not being present. Terming the discrepancy a form of forgery, Minister Helal ordered immediate disciplinary action against those involved. He emphasized that such negligence was unacceptable, noting that his office has received numerous complaints regarding poor service delivery and public suffering at these locations.

The minister underscored that public servants are obligated to provide timely services to citizens. He reiterated that the government requires accountability and sincerity in official duties, warning that no lapses or irregularities would be tolerated.

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During the visit, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Narayanganj, Rinat Fauzia, briefed the minister on systemic challenges facing land management in the region. She highlighted discrepancies between the Cadastral Survey (CS) records and subsequent Revision Survey (RS) records, noting that areas formerly classified as rivers or canals have in some cases been erroneously registered as private property. These discrepancies have complicated land mutation and development tax collection processes, particularly along the Shitalakkhya and Buriganga rivers.

Fauzia further cited bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining No Objection Certificates from the National River Conservation Commission and noted a critical shortage of manpower in land offices. She suggested that a high-court directive might be necessary to resolve the land record disputes permanently.

In response, Minister Helal promised to organize a workshop involving field administration officials to address these technical bottlenecks. Concluding the visit, the minister reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing oversight to ensure that public land services remain transparent, efficient, and accessible to the public.