Court Fee Calculator for Bangladesh: What a Suit Costs to File Under the Court-fees Act 1870
Before a plaint is accepted, the court fee has to be paid on it, and for valued suits it is a percentage of what you claim. Enter the type of suit and the value to see the estimated fee and the cap that applies.
- Money suits: 2.5% of the claim, capped at Tk 50,000
- Other valued suits: 2% of the value, capped at Tk 40,000
- Succession certificate: nil to Tk 20,000, 1% to Tk 1 lakh, 2% above
- Appeals carry the fee of the plaint; process fees and lawyer's fee are separate
In this guide: How a suit is valued · What the court fee does not include · Fixed-fee suits and exemptions
The short answer
Under Schedule I of the Court-fees Act 1870 as amended, a suit for money carries an ad valorem fee of 2.5 per cent of the amount claimed, subject to a maximum of Tk 50,000, and other suits valued on the subject-matter carry 2 per cent, subject to a maximum of Tk 40,000. A suit for possession under section 9 of the Specific Relief Act carries half the ad valorem fee. A succession certificate petition pays nothing on debts up to Tk 20,000, 1 per cent up to Tk 1 lakh and 2 per cent above. Some suits, such as a bare declaration, carry a fixed fee instead.
How a suit is valued
The value for court-fee purposes is set by the Court-fees Act and the Suits Valuation Act 1887. For a money suit it is the amount claimed, including interest to the date of filing. For a declaration with consequential relief it is the value of the relief; for specific performance it is the price in the agreement; for partition it depends on the plaintiff’s share. The valuation in the plaint must be consistent with the jurisdiction of the court. A deliberately low valuation is challenged by the defendant and corrected by the court, with the deficit payable before the case proceeds.
What the court fee does not include
- Process fees for serving summons on each defendant.
- Vakalatnama stamp and the lawyer’s fee, which are agreed separately.
- Fees on applications during the suit, such as injunction petitions, which carry small fixed fees.
- Appeal fees: a memorandum of appeal carries the same fee as the plaint, so a money appeal can cost up to Tk 50,000 again.
- Certified copies of the judgment and decree.
Fixed-fee suits and exemptions
Suits that do not claim a sum or property of ascertainable value carry a fixed fee set in Schedule II: a bare declaration without consequential relief, many family court applications, and petitions under special laws. Government fee waivers exist for pauper (indigent) suits under Order 33 of the Code of Civil Procedure, where the court allows the suit to proceed without fee on proof of inability to pay. Confirm the current figure for your case with the court’s sheristadar; fixed fees are revised by Finance Acts.
Value the claim
Amount with interest, or the value of the relief.
Compute the fee
2.5% or 2%, with the cap; or the fixed fee.
Buy the stamp
Court-fee stamps or treasury challan as the court requires.
Keep the receipt
The deficit, if any, is payable before the suit proceeds.
Common questions
How is the court fee calculated for a money suit in Bangladesh?
2.5 per cent of the amount claimed, including interest to the date of filing, with a maximum of Tk 50,000, under Schedule I of the Court-fees Act 1870 as amended.
What is the maximum court fee?
Tk 50,000 for a money suit and Tk 40,000 for other ad valorem suits, on the current schedule.
What is the court fee for an appeal?
A memorandum of appeal carries the same fee as the plaint in the suit, subject to the same cap.
Is the court fee refundable?
Generally no. Part of the fee may be refunded in specific situations, such as settlement at an early stage under the Code's provisions, but do not plan on it.
What is the court fee for a declaration suit?
A bare declaration carries a fixed fee under Schedule II; a declaration with consequential relief is valued and pays 2 per cent of the value, capped at Tk 40,000.
What is the court fee for a succession certificate?
Nothing up to Tk 20,000 of debts and securities, 1 per cent between Tk 20,000 and Tk 1 lakh, and 2 per cent above Tk 1 lakh, with no cap.
Can I file without paying the fee?
Only as a pauper suit under Order 33 CPC, on proof that you cannot pay. Otherwise the plaint is not registered until the fee is paid.
Is this calculator exact?
It applies the schedule rates to the value you enter. Fixed fees, exemptions and recent amendments can change the figure; confirm with the court before buying stamps.
More in Courts, Cases & Money Claims
Legal notices, money recovery, cheque cases and how a civil suit runs.
Planning to file a suit?
Tell us the claim and we will value it correctly, quote the fee and the filing cost in writing. A written assessment costs nothing.
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