Bangladesh digital land survey covers only 274 of 58,590 mouzas since 2012

Bangladesh's national digital cadastral survey, begun in 2012, has covered just 274 of the country's 58,590 mouzas, under 20 a year. The land records and surveys department itself estimates that full coverage at this rate would take many centuries.

Officials cite weak planning, too few skilled staff and administrative delays. Of 7,632 approved posts, 4,958 (65%) are vacant, including most field-level survey roles. Posts for nine newly created zonal settlement offices have not been approved by the Finance Ministry.

The Tk1,212 crore project combines satellite imagery, GNSS, electronic total stations, drones, aircraft and photogrammetry. The department proposes outsourced recruitment, staff training and RTK surveying. A pilot covers 34 upazilas in six districts with South Korean support, the World Bank has shown interest, and the government targets completion within 15 years.

Why it matters: The case shows that survey technology alone does not deliver national cadastres; staffing, budgets and institutional approvals decide the pace. Land administration programmes elsewhere, including in Africa, face similar capacity limits when scaling digital surveys.