No Foreign Voluntary Org can buy land sans prior govt nod

Parliament Building

Land Minister Narayan Chandra Chanda Thursday placed “Foreign Voluntary Organisaion (Acquisition of Immovable Property) Bill 2024 in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The minister brought the new bill canceling the “Foreign Voluntary Organisaion (Acquisition of Immovable Property) Regulation Ordinance, 1983” aimed at making it time befitting.

According to the bill, no foreign voluntary organization will be able to purchase, donate, exchange or otherwise acquire any immovable property within Bangladesh without the prior approval of the government.

It said that the government will confiscate any immovable property within Bangladesh acquired by any foreign voluntary organization in violation of this provision. If the immovable property was acquired without the prior approval of the government, it can be surrendered to the government without liability.

If the House passed the bill, it would facilitate the government to control and fair land management in acquiring any immovable property within Bangladesh by foreign voluntary organizations.

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury sent the bill to the relevant parliamentary standing committee to give a report within 60 days after examining the bill further. - Agency