AKM Mozammel Haque, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Land, yesterday said a bill to amend some provisions of the Vested Property Return Act-2001' might be placed before the current budget session of parliament

He was speaking at a seminar on implementation of the Vested Property Return Act-2001 at National Press Club in the city jointly organised by Association of Land Reform and Development (ALRD) and NijeraKori.

Mozammel said the government would also take necessary steps with a view to returning the vested properties to the real owners and their descendants by2009.

He sought cooperation from all for establishing equal rights of all as per the constitution.

Speaking as the chief guest Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said the present democratic government will complete all the procedures to return the vested properties to the real owners and their families.

Human rights activists and noted personalities at the seminar demanded proper implementation of the 'Vested Property Return Act-2001' bringing amendments to some provisions of the act

Prof Abul Barakat quoting his study said members of the Hindu community lost around 26 lakh acres of land in addition to other moveable and immoveable properties approximate worth Tk 3,50,412 crore during last four decades (1965-2006) due to the 'Enemy Property'Act-1965' and its post independence version Vested PropertyAct-1974.'

He said about 2 lakh households and 60 lakh people of the Hindu community have been directly and severely affected and about 53 percent of the families displaced due to the acts. He said 74 percent incidents of the land grabbing of minority community occurred before the War of Liberation in 1971.

Terming the acts a law against human rights, justice, democracy, spirit of the country's constitution and a clear violation of fundamental rights of the people, he said the people want return of the so-called vested property to real owners and their families.

ALRD Executive Director Samsul Huda, Chairperson Khusi Kabir, human right activists Barrister Sara Hossain, Advocate Subrata Chowdhury and journalist Syed Abul Maksud also spoke at the seminar.