By Book Title: Lectures on Land Law
Author: Dr Mohammad Towhidul Islam
Publisher: Northern Bangladesh University (NUB)
First published: June 2013
Displayed price: 500 Taka
Pages: 546
There is a common perception in our country that the laws related to land are complex and it is the job of experts to understand and apply the law. In fact, it is true that the land measurement system method requires expert knowledge. Furthermore, the units for measuring land are quite peculiar and not universal throughout the country. On the contrary, due to high population growth and land scarcity, land related disputes are increasing day by day, which owned about 80% of our total civil litigation.
However, apart from these scenarios, there is also a real shortage of a single academic book, containing all aspects of current land law. Because the area of our land law is gigantic, and these issues are dealt with individually in numerous books. When I started my career at a university, I was assigned to teach classes on land law. I can remember those days when I felt helpless due to my failure to find a single useful book on the laws of the land. Consequently, I suggested a large number of books to my students, which eventually dropped them into a worthless deep ocean, where they simply found mostly repealed, scattered, intricate, and to some extent worthless laws. I want to thank Dr. M Towhidul Islam who takes the initiative to rescue students from that bottomless sea with his new book entitled “Lectures on Land Law”.
Our customary school books on land law often contain history; the State Acquisition and Leasing Act of 1950; the Leasing and Non-Farm Law of 1949; preference provisions; barrage-dilution, acquisition-requisition, and some other part of land law individually, while this book covers the creation, transfer, and extermination of land rights in one coverage. This controversial book introduces immutable facets of land law under a single shadow, including provisions relating to registration, easement, recovery from public suit, trust, lease, mortgage, transfer of real property, and other inalienable materials related to real property; although precisely. We normally study these topics separately, while global students follow this pattern to study real estate law around the world.
This distinct book also discusses almost all the indissoluble parts of land law i.e. land administration, Khas land settlement, Khatiyan, mutation, land taxation etc. The author mainly formulates this book for his class lectures, which is also reflected in the name of his book. Consequently, the book will be more accessible for teachers and students to realize multifaceted issues of land law in an easy and class-friendly way. More importantly, Dr. Islam frees them from buying books on the subject. Another reason behind the complexity of the land law is the use of obscure words and confusing languages even in Bengali books, while Towhidul Islam constructs each sentence intelligibly. Now students will get double benefit from this one book; one is purely academic knowledge and the rest is practical aspects such as dispute, which is more important for a future lawyer.
Lectures on Land Law is inimitable in that it creates spaces for further discussion and I believe the author will be able to raise questions in the minds of the readers and help them increase their curiosity to discover the untouched corner of land management rather than reluctance. and complexity to earth affairs. Also, this Asso. Teacher. of law also writes his book in such a lucid way that his potential readers can find scope to think from the perspective of practitioners.
The first chapter of the aforementioned book deals with the importance of studying land laws and introductory topics. In the following chapters (2-4) the author lists the historical development, ownership and administration of land in Bangladesh. Chapter five of this book deals with the acquisition of the Zamindary system and its impact. The following chapters (6-9) clarify tenure rights, registration of rights, transfer, consolidation, merger and subdivision of land. Then, in chapters ten and eleven, Dr. Islam narrates about the registration and mutation procedure. Subsequently, he inscribes priority, subletting, alluvium-dilution, easement and prescription in chapters 12-15 respectively. After that, in chapter 16-18, the book illustrates the provisions regarding the acquisition and requisition of land, abandoned and acquired property. Later, Towhidul explains land taxes, certificate cases, and the management and settlement of Khas lands in chapters 19-21. Finally, in Chapter 22, this DU faculty member articulates the process of land reforms that can help the community ensure economic and social justice by providing equal and painless access to land and stewardship of the land. land in Bangladesh.
The book is not exhaustive but a start to keep thinking. However, the piece could be a good instrument for students to confront the current agrarian laws. I trust that it will also be enough to inspire you to explore untouched corners of the country’s land issues and land injustice. I hope the author will insert more illustrations, maps, pictures, charts, forms and case law in the next version of him to make the book easier for the layman as well. The book is primarily intended for law students; however, I hope it will also be a support material for academics, lawyers, judges, researchers, NOGs, and interested readers to lessen their curiosity.