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Parliament Reporter/

Jatiya Sangsad has passed a bill providing for one year imprisonment without labor or a fine of not more than five lakh taka or both for illegally occupying government owned land for markets and markets or constructing any illegal structures.

Lands Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury moved this bill titled ‘Hat and Bazaar (Establishment and Management) Act-2023’ and it was passed by voice vote.

Speaker on Thursday. In the session presided over by Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, the members of the opposition party raised the proposal to send the bill to the public opinion verification and selection committee before passing it. However, the proposals were voted down. After that, the amendment proposals were resolved by the Speaker. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury. A few amendments brought by members of the opposition were accepted.

After the introduction of the bill in Parliament on January 8, the bill was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Lands for further examination. The law passed has given special powers to the Judicial Magistrate in imposing fines. As a result, he can impose fines beyond Article 32 of the Criminal Procedure Code. And if a person violates the provisions of the bill and illegally occupies government private land of haat and market or constructs any illegal structure on private land, the illegally constructed structure will be confiscated in favor of the government.

The statement containing the purpose and reasons of the bill states that the new bill has been brought in Bengal by revoking the Ordinance made in 1959 to make the rural economy more dynamic, including the establishment of markets and bazaars and the establishment of transparency and accountability in management. For this, necessary corrections and refinements have been made by taking the opinions of all concerned ministries and departments and stakeholders.