The desired service is not available without money in the land office of Sahta Union No. 2 of Barhatta Upazila of Netrokona district. In a word, the Sahta Union Land Office is now a paradise for bribery. According to local sources, it has been alleged that the Union Assistant Land Officer Shahana Akhter herself determines the bribe rate according to the type of work and the amount of land, and for several days, these issues have been in the headlines of various national dailies, including the National Daily Inquilab, and the Sahta Union Land Office is like a bribe market. Even though there are news of bribery in her name in various newspapers under different headlines, she has remained in her position till now. Now the question is how this Union Assistant Land Officer Shahana Akhter is still in her job despite doing so much in public. Meanwhile, on the spot, it was seen that Shahana Akhter, the Union Assistant Land Officer of Sahta Union Land Office, was openly accepting a bribe of 3000 taka from a service recipient and a video of the court verdict regarding it went viral on social media. On the spot, it was also learned that she has been harassing the service recipients day after day. Now the question is, did these things not come to the attention of any official of the upazila or district administration even after so many things happened in public?

Meanwhile, when asked about the bribe transaction, Union Assistant Land Officer Shahana Akhter was a little upset and said, “I did not take any money from anyone.” Although a video of the arbitration court accepting bribe money was captured on the journalists’ camera, when the video was shown and the question about the amount of money was asked, she remained silent without giving any good answer. It was also learned on the spot that service recipients have to pay extra money for all land-related work, otherwise they have to suffer endlessly. Various allegations of irregularities, bribery, corruption, harassment have been made against this land officer Shahana Akhter. At the same time, the common people who come to receive land services have to obey Shahana Akhter’s own law as soon as they enter the Sahta Union Land Office. This causes unbearable suffering to the service recipients.

It is also known that for filing the tax (land development tax receipt), the government collects additional money from the prescribed fee, but the receipt is given as a government account. Through this, this union land assistant officer Shahana Akhter is embezzling lakhs of taka every month. Locals complained that although the government prescribed fee for name cancellation is 1,150 taka, the land officer Shahana Akhter takes an additional 8 to 10 thousand taka and even 15 thousand to 30 thousand taka depending on the individual. It is also known that if someone refuses to pay this demanded bribe, he harasses the landowners with various excuses. Not only is he a scoundrel here, it has also been alleged that he runs his office from a shop next to his government office.

When I called Barhatta Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md. Sajedul Islam on his phone to inquire about this, he said, “We have seen the video, the matter of accepting bribes will be investigated and strict action will be taken, and this land officer has been asked to explain it within 10 working days.” When I called Barhatta Upazila Executive Officer Selina Akhter to inquire about this, she told this representative that AC Land is looking into this matter. However, legal action will be taken after investigation. When I called Sukhmoy Sarkar, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Netrokona Deputy Commissioner’s Office to inquire about this, he told this representative that the matter will be investigated and action will be taken.