<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>Land Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman said the government is formulating the Haat and Bazar (Establishment and Management) rules to strengthen local governance and accelerate the local economy. Haat-bazaar rule will play an important role in the government's plan to establish a welfare-oriented smart local governance system.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Land Secretary made this statement during a meeting to finalize the Haat and Bazar (Establishment and Management) Rules 2024, which took place today at the conference room of the Ministry of Land. Representatives from the ministries of local government, commerce, finance, agriculture, law, liberation war, and women and children affairs as well as District Administration officials were also in attendance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Md. Khalilur Rahman also said that Haat-bazar is the heart of the rural economy of Bangladesh. He stated that efforts will be made to ensure that marginal farmers and traders with limited capital can also be involved in the Hat-bazaar-centric economy. Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda has given clear instructions in this regard - he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the meeting, it was disclosed that in the draft of the Haat and Bazar (Establishment and Management) Rules 2024, 4 percent of the lease money received from the haats and bazaars has been proposed to be spent for the welfare of the freedom fighters. The remaining 5% will be directly added to the central revenue in the form of a fee. The remaining 91 percent of the lease money from the haat bazaars has been proposed to be spent in the local area. These include the salaries of the officers and employees of the local government institutions, the development of haat-bazaars, and the revenue of the local government. Besides, provisions have been made in the draft rules to construct a multi-storied shopping complex on government khas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/Sabuj/kh</div>