Lakshmipur Land Office Official Accused of Bribery in Registration

A complaint has been filed against Fazlul Haque Fazlu, chief assistant cum accountant of the Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila Land Office, for allegedly demanding extra money to process land registration applications.

Document writer Ismail Hossain Rashed filed the complaint with the Deputy Commissioner on February 24. According to Rashed, Fazlu demanded Tk 5,000 and the original document to register land in the name of his mother-in-law, Ratna Begum. He allegedly threatened to reject the application when the money was not paid.

Rashed also claimed that Fazlu previously demanded Tk 10,000 for registering his own land on February 18, 2024. Although the hard copy of the registration was approved, Fazlu allegedly canceled it online.

Investigations revealed that Rashed has previously applied for land registrations through Fazlu by paying extra money. In March 2024, Rashed was arrested for brokering in the land office but later released on bail, with a ban on entering the office. It is reported that he and Fazlu communicated and conducted transactions via WhatsApp.

Government fees for land registration are Tk 1,100, but brokers and dishonest employees often demand Tk 5,000–10,000, with fees increasing depending on the land’s location.

Local landowner Belal Hossain said he paid Tk 6,500 to Fazlu a year and a half ago for registration. Ratna Begum said she is facing difficulties getting an electricity connection as her deposit could not be canceled due to Fazlu’s alleged inaction.

When contacted, Fazlul Haque denied the allegations. Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Abhi Das said the office will investigate the matter. He emphasized that CCTV footage and sound records are available in all rooms and action will be taken if wrongdoing is confirmed.