Property Registration Process in Bangladesh 2025 – Avoid Costly Mistakes with This Process

The property registration process in Bangladesh is a vital process that ensures legal ownership, protects against disputes and provides clarity of title. Whether you are buying land, a house, or a flat, understanding every step—and the associated costs, documents and potential pitfalls—is essential. Below is a clear, detailed roadmap for 2025.

Why registration matters

• Under the Registration Act, 1908 of Bangladesh, deeds of sale, transfer, gift and other documents concerning immovable property must be registered with the relevant Sub-Registrar to be legally valid.
• Registration gives you official proof of ownership and helps avoid future legal claims or disputes.
• Without registration, your ability to assert your rights—resale, mortgage, transfer—can be weakened.

Step 1: Preliminary verification and title check

Before any formal registration, you should perform thorough due diligence.

• Check the seller’s title: Ensure that the current owner is legitimately registered in the khatian (record of rights) and that the seller has the right to sell.
• Review mutation records: The khatian and mutation certificate show whose name is on the revenue/land records. Problems here often cause delays.
• Check for encumbrances: Confirm whether the land or flat is mortgaged, under litigation, or has pending taxes. A Non-Encumbrance Certificate (NEC) can help.
• Confirm building & planning approvals (for house/flat): If buying a built property, check that the building plan was approved by the relevant authority (for example Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) in Dhaka) and that there are no unauthorized floors/structures.
• Clear tax or utility dues: Ensure land tax, utility bills and other dues by the seller are cleared. Outstanding dues can transfer to you.

This verification may take time but investing in this step helps avoid costly legal issues later.

Step 2: Agreement, sale deed / transfer deed preparation

Once verification is satisfactory:

• Draw up a sale agreement (often called “Bai-nama”) between buyer and seller, specifying property details, price, payment schedule, possession date.
• Prepare the actual transfer deed (sale deed) for registration. This document includes names of parties, property description, agreed value, terms of transfer, declarations.
• Choose the value for the deed: The deed value may be the actual sale price or the government-assessed value (whichever is higher). The stamp duty and registration fees will often be calculated on this basis.

Step 3: Stamp duty, registration fee, tax & other charges

Before final registration you will need to pay the relevant duties, fees and taxes.

Key cost components:

• Stamp duty – tax levied on the transaction document.
• Registration fee – cost for registering the document formally with the Sub-Registrar.
• Local government tax, VAT (for flats/apartments) and in some cases gain tax or transfer tax.

Some typical recent rates:

• For land or flats in Dhaka: Stamp duty around 1.5 % of deed value, registration fee about 1 %, local government tax around 2 % and VAT for flats under 1600 sq ft about 2 %, over 1600 sq ft about 4.5 %.
• Some sources indicate total registration cost (incl. all taxes/fees) may be around 6-10% of property value in many cases.
• It is critical to check the rates for the specific mouza (village land survey unit), district and property type, as they vary.

Step 4: Sub-Registrar office process (Execution and registration)

Once documents are prepared and duties paid:

• Visit the relevant Sub-Registrar’s office (in the district where the property is located) for registration of the deed.
• Both buyer and seller (or their duly authorised representatives) and typically two witnesses must appear and sign the deed in the presence of the Sub-Registrar.
• Submit original documents and certified copies: ID cards (NID or passport) of buyer & seller, stamps/receipts of duty paid, previous title documents, proof of paid land/holding tax etc.
• The office will scan / enter the transaction into the register, assign a registration number and issue a registration certificate or registered deed copy to the buyer.

Step 5: Mutation / Update revenue records

Registration alone confirms your ownership legally, but updating the land revenue records is often required to reflect your name in the khatian/revenue record (sometimes called mutation).

• Submit a mutation application to the Assistant Commissioner (Land) or relevant land office with the registered sale deed.
• Once approved, your name gets recorded in the land records, so you will be recognised as the legal owner in revenue/land records.
• This step is important especially if you intend to pay land tax, sell in future, or obtain loans against the property.

Step 6: Collecting documents and safe storage

• After registration you should collect the registered sale deed / certificate. Keep the original in a safe place and have certified copies.
• Maintain backup of all payment receipts, registration numbers, duty stamps, mutation certificate etc. These will be important in future transfers, mortgages or dispute resolution.
• Regularly check your land tax status and revenue records to ensure no back-log or outstanding dues.

Typical timeline and realistic expectations

• According to the World Bank Doing Business report: the property registration process in Bangladesh may involve around 8 major procedures and take on the order of 245 days in some cases.
• In practice, if all documents are in order and title is clean, registration + issuance of deed may take 2 – 4 weeks in many cases.
• Delays often come from pending mutation, missing documents, title disputes or backlog at land offices. Planning ahead helps.

Common pitfalls & how to avoid them

• Undervalued property calculation: If the declared sale value is too low relative to market or government assessed value, tax authorities may challenge the deed.
• Missing or wrong documents: Incomplete identity documents, missing khatian/mutation history, unpaid land tax—all delay registration.
• Buying without proper verification of title, encumbrances or approvals: This leads to disputes, or difficulties in future resale.
• Not updating mutation records: Even after registration, if mutation is not done your name may not appear in revenue records, creating complications.
• Overlooking local approvals or building plan violations (especially for flats/houses) — ensure property complies with building regulations.
• Not retaining original registration documents and receipts: Loss of records complicates future transactions.

Documents required (typical list)

• Buyer’s & seller’s National ID card(s) or passport (for foreigner/NRB involvement)
• Original sale deed / transfer agreement
• Previous title deeds or chain of ownership documents
• Khatian/Record of Rights (ROR) and mutation certificate for the seller
• Tax clearance, utility bill receipts
• Approval letter for sale (if required by local development authority)
• Payment receipts for stamp duty, registration fee, VAT/local taxes
• Two witness identities and signatures

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final thoughts

The property registration process in Bangladesh is a multifaceted process—verification of title, document preparation, payment of duties, formal registration, and updating records. Each step matters for securing your investment and ownership rights. If you carefully follow the steps, prepare the required documentation, pay the correct fees, and avoid the common pitfalls, the process can be relatively smooth. However, because of variations in local rules, property types, and district practices, it is wise to engage an experienced local legal or real estate professional.