A draft law has been placed in parliament with the provision for penalties for illegally occupying government land for markets with Tk 500,000 fines and a year in jail.
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury tabled the “Hats and Bazars (Establishment and Management) Bill, 2023” on Sunday. It was later sent to the parliamentary committee for evaluation, according to bdnews24.com.
The “Hats and Bazars (Establishment and Acquisition) Ordinance, 1959,” which had no provision for penalties, has been revised and amended for the draft.
The Bill says any attempt to illegally occupy or erect an establishment on government market land would be penalised with Tk 500,000 fines or one-year jail term or both.
The draft vests special powers on judicial magistrates in exacting the punishment.
