Improving forest land governance: the case of developing a digital archiving system for forest land records in Bangladesh

Land administration in Bangladesh relies significantly on paper-based records which are stored in multiple government offices. This deters public access to land records that breeds inefficiencies. This article assesses the anticipated impacts and challenges of a digital archiving system for the forest land records on the land governance in Bangladesh. The system is expected to contribute to improving land administration and governance in the country by, (i) permanently preserving forest land records, (ii) helping resolve land disputes and fight land grabbing, and (iii) improving the accessibility and transparency of these documents. However, lack of adequate funding and skilled manpower pose challenges to the sustainability and scaling up of undertaken digitization and archiving initiatives. Thus, the capacity for forest land administration should be strengthened. Land-related policy and legislative frameworks should also be reformed to fully realize the advantages of digitization.