Types of Land Deeds in Bangladesh: Saf Kabala, Heba, Bontonnama and How to Read a Deed

In this guide: What is a saf kabala deed? · How many types of deeds are there? · Which deeds must be registered? · How to read a deed: the parts in order · Reading the schedule (tofsil): mouza, khatian and dag · Endorsements, deed number and getting a copy

The short answer

A saf kabala deed is the ordinary sale deed: the seller transfers full ownership of land to the buyer for a price, and the deed must be registered at the sub-registry. Other common deeds are heba (gift), heba-bil-ewaz, bontonnama (partition), ewaz (exchange), bainanama (sale agreement), power of attorney, mortgage, lease, will, no-claim and cancellation deeds. To read any deed, start with the schedule (tofsil): mouza, JL number, khatian, dag, area and boundaries, then check the parties, the title history and the sub-registrar’s endorsements.

What is a saf kabala deed?

Saf means clean or absolute, and kabala means a deed of sale. A saf kabala deed transfers the seller’s whole right in the land to the buyer, in return for a price paid in full. Once registered, the buyer becomes the owner and should then apply for mutation (namjari) in their own name.

A sale deed is written in the prescribed form. It names the seller and buyer, states the price and that it has been received, sets out how the seller got the land, and describes the land in the schedule. The seller must show the khatian (record of rights) when the deed is registered.

A sale deed is not the same as a bainanama. A bainanama is only an agreement to sell later. It does not make the buyer the owner. See agreements on stamp paper for how agreements work.

How many types of deeds are there?

For gifts, see the heba deed guide. For powers of attorney, see power of attorney in Bangladesh.

Which deeds must be registered?

Section 17 of the Registration Act 1908 makes registration compulsory for gifts of land, for any document that creates, transfers or ends a right in land, whatever its value, and for leases from year to year or longer than one year. Section 17A adds the bainanama, which must be registered within 60 days of signing (30 days before 2026). A power of attorney to sell or develop land must be registered under the Power of Attorney Act 2012.

A will is the main deed whose registration is optional, and it can be presented at any time. Other deeds should be presented within three months of signing.

What happens if a compulsory deed is not registered? Under section 49, it does not pass any right in the land. Signing a sale on stamp paper and paying in full, without registration, leaves the buyer with no title.

Cancelling a deed: a bainanama or power of attorney can be ended by a registered cancellation or revocation deed. A registered sale deed cannot simply be cancelled by the parties after ownership has passed. It needs a fresh transfer back or a court decree.

How to read a deed: the parts in order

1. Heading and deed type: for example saf kabala, with the value and the stamp details.
2. Parties: names, father’s or husband’s names, addresses, NID numbers and photos of the executant (the person giving) and the recipient.
3. Recital of title: how the seller got the land, through inheritance, purchase or gift, with earlier deed numbers. The prescribed form asks for the history of ownership.
4. Consideration: the price and a statement that it has been received.
5. Operative words: what is transferred and on what terms.
6. Schedule (tofsil): the land itself. See the next section.
7. Signatures and thumb impressions of the parties, and of the witnesses with addresses, plus the deed writer’s name and licence number.
8. Sub-registrar’s endorsements on the back or the last pages.

Read the recital of title against the earlier deeds. If the chain breaks, ask why before you rely on the deed.

Reading the schedule (tofsil): mouza, khatian and dag

The schedule identifies the land. Check each item against the khatian and the mouza map.

• District, upazila or thana and mouza, with the JL number of the mouza.
• Khatian numbers from each survey: CS, SA, RS and, where done, BS or city survey. Also the mutation khatian.
• Dag (plot) numbers for each survey, and the total area of each dag.
• Area transferred, usually in decimals or in acres. It cannot be more than the seller’s share in the khatian.
• Boundaries (chouhoddi) on four sides. They should match the land on the ground.
• Class of land, such as homestead, agricultural or pond.

A wrong dag or khatian number is common and can block mutation. Fix it before registration if you can, or by a registered correction deed signed by both sides. For a full title search, see what to check before you buy land.

Endorsements, deed number and getting a copy

After registration, the sub-registrar endorses the deed: when it was presented, that the executant admitted signing, who identified them, the fees paid, and a certificate of registration. The certificate gives the book number (Book I for land), the volume, the pages and the deed number with the year. You need these to trace the deed later.

To get a copy of a lost deed, or to check that a deed is genuine, apply for a certified copy (nakal) at the sub-registry where it was registered, or at the district record room for old deeds, using the deed number and year. Compare the copy with the deed you were shown. Mismatched numbers, overwriting or a seller who is not in the khatian are warning signs.