Dhaka DC Farida appears at land office wearing a burqa
The land office was packed with ordinary people. Some were busy with land mutation (namjari), others had come to check on the status of pending applications.
Into that crowd, a woman in a burqa quietly slipped. Asked who she was, she answered plainly that she was just another service-seeker. Moments later came the surprise: the unassuming woman was none other than Dhaka District Commissioner (DC) Farida Khanam.
To see for herself how far the paper-based service system matches ordinary people’s real experience, she visited the North Khan Union Land Office incognito.
Disguised as a service-seeker behind the burqa, the DC spent a long time among the others, listening directly to their difficulties. Once news of the senior official’s unusual secret visit got out, curiosity and praise swept through the local community.
According to district administration sources, she wanted to find out first-hand whether people seeking land services were facing hardship, delays, irregularities or harassment. Beyond listening, she also observed the process of receiving services as an ordinary applicant would.
During the visit, DC Farida Khanam also closely observed the office’s overall functioning: how staff behaved towards service-seekers, and how complicated or straightforward the official procedures were. Sources said she checked these details to ensure people can get services easily and without hardship.
After the visit, the DC instructed the officials concerned to provide land services to the public quickly and easily, and stressed that nobody should face unnecessary hardship or harassment when seeking services.
District administration officials said that, alongside relying on reports and complaints in the office, learning about service-seekers’ experiences directly in the field makes it easier to understand the real picture of public services. Standing among ordinary people without revealing one’s identity, in particular, offers a closer view of the reality of service delivery.
