For about four decades, Toha Mia had been in possession of a plot of land in the capital's Malakartola area and duly paid tax on the land.

But all of a sudden, land officials told him a few years ago that the land did not belong to him as it was “enemy property”.

He then spent months collecting relevant documents from government offices. But he died before he could prove his ownership of the land.

When his son Md Ibrahim went to the Kotwali office of the assistant commissioner (land) for mutation of the land, he was denied permission to do so.

“This time, the officials told him that the land belongs to the Court of Wards [the government], so it cannot be mutated against the name of Toha's heir,” said Toha's brother-in-law Foyzur Rahman.

He said all this at a mass hearing organised by the Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday as part of efforts to address the sufferings and harassment of service seekers at land offices. Five more complainants also spoke there.

Assistant commissioners (land) of Kotwali, Tejgaon and Gulshan were present at the hearing in the capital's Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh.

Foyzur, a lawyer by profession, said Toha's name has been mentioned as the plot's owner in the State Acquisition Survey, Revisional Survey and City Survey. But Assistant Land Officer Hamidur Rahman continued to claim that the land was “enemy property”.

He said Toha had checked “Ka” and “Kha” schedules of “enemy property” but did not find the plot on the lists.

As Toha produced the lists before Hamidur, the land official said the holding number of the plot was mentioned as “enemy property” in a government document.

“When we asked him to show us the document, he asked us to go to the assistant land commissioner's office to get it,” said Foyzur, adding that the officials there asked Toha to go to the commissioner's office for the document.

Toha finally collected the document from the commissioner's office and found that his plot's holding number was not mentioned there, said the lawyer.

After Toha's death, his son Ibrahim went to the Kotwali office of the assistant commissioner (Land) for mutation of the land, a prerequisite for paying tax for the plot.

“This time, the land official concerned rejected Ibrahim's application, saying the plot belongs to the Court of Wards,” said Foyzur.

Three days ago, Foyzur conveyed the matter to Assistant Commissioner (land) Mahmuda Aktar at the latter's office.

She refused to give permission for mutating the land and advised the lawyer to go to the Land Reform Board, which looks after government lands, to get clearance.

At yesterday's hearing, Mahmuda said, “As a government officer, I have to protect government land. He [Foyzur] is concerned about his interest, but I have to protect the government's interest.

“In my area, there are many khas land and properties that belong the Court of Wards. If I allow mutation of these lands without scrutiny, the government will lose lands.”

Finding her reply unsatisfactory, ACC Commissioner Nasiruddin Ahmed said, “It is alright that you will protect the government's interest. But he [the land owner] has documents too.

“Why are you now bringing up the issue of fraudulence when you have collected tax on the land for many years? Why does the land owner have to go through such harassment?

“It's your duty to solve his problem. What work do you do actually? This is not right. You are at fault,” said Nasiruddin, adding, “Tell me how long you will take to dispose of the matter.

Mahmuda then promised to settle it within 15 days.

Yesterday's mass hearing was the ACC's 94th hearing on public sufferings in government organisations. It had held the previous hearing on land-related issues on December 10, 2015.

Another complainant, Kazi Masud, brother of ex-president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Kazi Aref Ahmed, also narrated his family's sufferings at yesterday's hearing.

The government donated a plot of land to Aref's family on KM Das Lane in 2008, but didn't provide the family with any document, said Masud, adding that he had pointed out the same thing in the 2015 hearing.

At that time, the then deputy commissioner of Dhaka promised to settle the issue, but he was transferred after a few days, and the matter remained unresolved, said Masud.

He alleged that vested quarters have already grabbed part of the plot.

“Please recover the land from the grabbers first,” he added.

Additional Commissioner (revenue) Sharif Rayhan Kabir said they often cannot act promptly due to procedural complexities.

He, however, mentioned that they are trying their best to address land-related problems.

Nasiruddin said a holistic approach is needed for solving land-related problems.

“Lack of coordination among the government agencies is a big problem,” he said, adding that the ministries do not cooperate with each other.

Pointing out that brokers are causing problems at land offices, he said, “There are brokers inside the land office. Officials in lower tiers often act as brokers.”

He suggested monitoring the activities of the officials, surveyors and kanungos at land offices.

“I am not that satisfied with your work,” he said, referring to the assistant commissioners (land) in Kotwali, Tejgaon and Gulshan.