Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu, MP, has directed ensuring transparency and accountability in the government water body leasing process. He said no irregularities in the leasing process will be tolerated. Genuine fisherfolk cooperative societies are being given opportunities through an open and online-based system.

He said these while speaking as chair at the 92nd meeting of the committee regarding granting leases of government water bodies at the conference room of the Ministry of Land. The special guest at the meeting was State Minister for Land Barrister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, MP. He directed the concerned deputy commissioners to protect the interests of genuine and marginal fisherfolk and to make lease-related recommendations transparently without any undue lobbying.

In the meeting, a proposal to lease government water bodies with an area of more than 20 acres for six years from 1433 to 1438 Bengali Era was reviewed. Proposals for 34 water bodies in four districts, along with matters relating to the terms of various water bodies and ponds, came up for discussion. After verification and scrutiny, it was unanimously decided to lease 25 water bodies.

According to ministry sources, under the development project, notices were published for 828 water bodies in 36 districts for leasing. Among them, 411 fisherfolk cooperative societies applied online against 786 water bodies in 29 districts. Earlier, proposals for 174 water bodies in 25 districts were presented at the 89th, 90th and 91st meetings of the committee.

Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Land Md. Emdadul Haque Chowdhury, concerned senior officials and deputy commissioners of various districts were present at the meeting. Deputy commissioners of several districts joined the meeting online.