Government-owned land will no longer be allocated to any organization at symbolic or token prices, according to Economic Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. He stated that any institution seeking to acquire public land must do so by paying its appropriate market value.
Dr. Ahmed made the remarks on Tuesday following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase held at the Cabinet Division conference room in the Secretariat.
During the meeting, a proposal was presented seeking policy approval to transfer 54.99 acres of land from Jalil Textile Mills in the Chattogram region to the Bangladesh Army for an arms factory expansion project. The proposal included a valuation of Tk 17 crore for the land.
In response, Dr. Ahmed clarified that while the Army has expressed interest in the land, the recommendation is clear: it will not be transferred at a symbolic price. “From now on, public land will not be granted to any institution at a token value. If land is to be acquired, it must be purchased at fair cost,” he said.
He further explained that symbolic pricing often leads to inefficient land use. “When land is offered at a token price, it is frequently misused. For example, an agency may only require 10 acres, but claims 100 acres due to the negligible cost,” he added.
