Manpower shortage hampers land services in Madhabpur

Eleven of the 18 sanctioned posts at the Madhabpur land office in Habiganj, including those of assistant commissioner (land), kanungo and surveyor, have remained vacant for years, leaving the office to operate with only seven staff.
The shortage of manpower has made it difficult for officials and employees to provide land-related services, causing suffering for service seekers.
Although e-mutation was introduced nationwide to deliver land services quickly to people’s doorsteps, service recipients in Madhabpur complain that they are not getting its full benefits due to the shortage of staff at the land office.
According to land office sources, the important post of assistant commissioner (land) is currently vacant. Md Anisul Islam was transferred just 20 days after joining the office, leaving the post vacant.
The post of kanungo has also remained vacant for nearly six years since Saifuddin Ahmed was transferred on 17 December 2020. Surveyor Shahidul Islam was transferred to the Kamalganj land office around four months ago after being promoted. Currently, Zunaid Ahmed, surveyor of the Bahubal land office, is working at the Habiganj deputy commissioner’s acquisition branch while also performing additional duties at the Madhabpur land office one day a week. Several other important posts, including chainman, process server, office assistant-cum-computer typist and nazir-cum-cashier, are also vacant. With 11 of the 18 posts remaining vacant for a long time, the office is facing various difficulties in carrying out its regular activities.
Madhabpur upazila has five union land offices — Montala, Madhabpur Sadar, Adair, Noapara and Kalikapur.
Mujibur Rahman, union assistant land officer at Montala Union Land Office, said Montala is one of the largest union land offices in Sylhet division in terms of area and has 99 mouzas under its jurisdiction. Of the six sanctioned posts at the office, only two officers and two MLSS staff are currently working there. He said the area has several sand quarries, requiring frequent drives to prevent illegal extraction of sand and soil. Officials also have to appear in court as witnesses in various cases.
The manpower shortage is placing additional pressure on the existing staff while carrying out these responsibilities, he said. Two of the six posts at Madhabpur Sadar Union Land Office are vacant, while two posts are also vacant at Noapara Union Land Office. As a result, officials and employees have to work under additional pressure to provide regular land services. Lokman Hossain, union sub-assistant land officer at Kalikapur Union Land Office, said four of the six posts at his office are vacant.
The workload related to land has also increased with the development of a new industrial area in the locality, he said. He added that the staff have to work extra hours due to the manpower shortage and are sometimes unable to take leave even for personal needs. Adair Union Land Office is also facing a manpower shortage, with only one sub-assistant land officer and one MLSS currently working there. Regarding the disruption to land services caused by the shortage, Madhabpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mehedi Hasan said the matter had been brought to the attention of higher authorities.
“Hopefully, the shortage will ease within a few days,” he said. Stakeholders said delays in filling the vacant posts could further slow down e-mutation and other digital land services, increasing the suffering of service seekers. Local residents have called for the vacant posts to be filled and necessary manpower appointed without delay in the public interest.