A team of European Union officials visited the Mohanpur, Rajshahi pilot area of the SALE project from 28 September to 1 October in 2013. The team consisted of the project manager EU, Ms. Julia Jacoby as the head of cooperation; the finance attaché, Mr. Nadine Sterckx for the Contracts and Audit Section; the national project director, Mr. Md. Salehuddin; deputy project director-2, Mr. Fazlur Rahman; deputy project director-1, Mr. Phillippe Jacques of the ‘Project Management Unit’-PMU of the ‘Department of Land Record and Survey’ (DLRS); the joint secretary of the ‘Ministry of Land’, Mr. Satya Brata Saha; the team leader, Andrea Hernandez and the deputy team leader, Mr. Abdul Halim Mia of the Project Technical Assistance Team (PTAT); the director of Uttaran, Mr. Shahidul Islam; the project coordinator of the SALE project, Mr. Mamun Ur Rashid; and the coordinator of Uttaran, Ms. Fatima Halima Ahmed.

During this visit, the team members met with the Deputy Commissioner-DC, Mejbah Uddin Chowdhury; Upazila Nirbahi Officer-UNO, Mr. Shamim Ahmed; Assistant Commissioner (Land), Ms. Sonia Bintey Tabiba; UP Chairmen of Bakshimoil and Ghashigram are consequently Mr. Mahabur Rashid and Mr. Afzal Hossain Bakul; members of primary organizations; members of the upazila bhumi committee; members of the indigenous community and the ‘Padma’ community radio station. The team mostly discussed how the project activities would help to modernize land management through digital land recording and survey. They also enjoyed cultural event at Mohonpur.

The visit benefitted from the support of government officials for the project, particularly from the DC, UNO, UP Chairmen and AC (Land). It should be noted that DC and UNO have been maintaining regular communication with SALE project staff; they have taken part to monthly NGO coordination meetings and monthly Agri-khasland allocation and management committee meetings as a result of these visits.