Dhaka: The European Union (EU) has underlined the importance of land management for the social and economic development of Bangladesh saying good governance and land administration are interrelated in many aspects.

Minister Counsellor and Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Bangladesh Mario Ronconi said this at a function in Jamalpur on Thursday.

The EU-funded project, by working on land policy, on the legal and institutional frameworks of land as well on rationalizing the land recording system through Integrated Digital Land Recording System (IDLRS), has substantially contributed to improve the land governance of the country, said Ronconi.

Minister for Land Shamsur Rahman Sharif also addressed the function marking the final publication of the Land Records and Establishment of Integrated Digital Land Recording System (IDLRS).

Representatives of Bangladesh government, civil society and the end-beneficiaries of the project took part at the event.

The total budget of this land governance reform programme is of EUR10 million, fully funded by the EU.

The global objective of the Land project is to strengthen access to land and property rights for all sections of the society in Bangladesh.

In this spirit, the land governance reform programme funded by the European Union (EU) supports the government of Bangladesh in elaborating a land policy, establishing an authoritative land record process inclusive of integrated digital land recording system (IDLRS).

To this respect, the project gives shape in the domain of Land Records to the Global Vision inspired by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina: "Digital Bangladesh", said a press release.

The system has been piloted in 3 Upazilas benefiting directly from the action, with approximately 71,000 landowners. These results will allow the government to apply the same approach throughout the country.

The programme is being executed from the Department of Land Records and Survey (DLRS) office of the Ministry of Land in piloted Upazilas: Amtali in Barguna district, Jamalpur Sadar in Jamalpur, Mohanpur in Rajsahi District, and for testing an initiative to improve the land administration system at field level, in the Manirampur Upazila in Jessore district.