The Ministry of Land on Saturday published a draft of the Land Zoning and Protection Act for public opinion.

According to the draft, measures will be taken to preserve the environment and ensure uninterrupted food production by safeguarding agricultural land, forests, wetlands, rivers, hills, water bodies, and canals.

The proposed law aims to ensure optimal land use and protect the environment.

“The ongoing increase in population pressure is resulting in constant changes in land nature and classification due to unplanned urbanisation, housing development, industrial establishment, and road construction, affecting agricultural land, forests, hills, and water bodies,” says the draft.

Ten categories for land zoning have been proposed, including residential, commercial, industrial, water bodies, rivers, forests, hills, roads, industrial, and religious sites.

Upon the passage of this law, a unit will be established under the Ministry of Land for the implementation, monitoring, and updating of land zoning activities. All ministries and departments will be required to plan comprehensively based on this law.

The law will ensure the protection of all agricultural lands, and any change in land use without prior approval will be prohibited.

It will not be permissible to use any agricultural land for purposes other than agriculture, even for one or two crop cycles, without the permission of the government.

However, in the case of development projects, establishment of industrial plants, or other specific needs, the land can be repurposed with government approval.

Any individual will be able to construct residential buildings using a minimum amount of land on their own land.

The government, in the interest of food security, will coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture using land zoning to preserve any area or region of the country as a special agricultural zone, according to the draft.

If this law is violated, there will be imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of Tk5 lakh, or both.