The Ministry of Land has been formulating a draft of Haat and Bazar (Establishment and Management) Rules aiming at strengthening local governance and accelerating the countrys local economy.
According to the draft rules, four percent of the lease money received from the haats and bazars has been proposed to spend for the welfare of the freedom fighters. Among the rests, five percent will be directly added to the central revenue in the form of a fee and the remaining 91 percent has been proposed to be spent in the local area.
Land Secretary Khalilur Rahman on Thursday made the disclosure about draft at the meeting held at the ministry conference room to finalize the draft of Haat and Bazar (Establishment and Management) Rules, 2024.
According to the draft, from the rests 91 percent revenues, the salaries of the officers and employees of local government institutions will be paid and development of haat-bazars will be done as revenue of the local government.
Besides, provisions have been made in the draft rules to construct a multi-storied shopping complex on government khas land within the periphery of haat-bazar, the meeting was informed.
According to the Haat and Bazar (Establishment and Management) Act, 2023, the term Haat and Bazar refers to any place where people buy and sell agricultural products, fruits, animals, poultry, eggs, fish, meat, milk, dairy products, food and beverages, industrial products, and daily necessities on a daily basis or on a particular day of the week. It also includes shops established at that place for the purchase and sale of these products.
According to the law, ownership of the hats and bazars is vested in the Land Ministry. The collector, the Deputy Commissioner, acts as the local authority.
In general, upazila parishads, municipalities, and city corporations under the Ministry of Local Government manage the hats and bazaars. If any haat or bazar is established on any land in violation of the provisions of this law, government can confiscate the land along with all interests or its structures.
According to the accounts for the fiscal year 2022-23, total number of hats and bazars across the country is 10,265. Of those, revenue of around Tk 990 crore was collected from 7,955 leased haats and bazars.
Representatives from the ministries of local government, commerce, finance, agriculture, law, liberation war, and women and children affairs as well as District Administration officials were also in attendance.
Land Secretary Khalilur Rahman, the chair of the meeting, said the government is formulating the Haat and Bazar (Establishment and Management) rules will strengthen local governance and accelerate the local economy. The rule will play an important role in the governments plan to establish a welfare-oriented smart local governance system.
