Divorce Papers in Bangladesh: Which Documents Prove a Divorce and How to Get Them

In this guide: Which papers prove a divorce · Registering the divorce with the Kazi · How to get a lost divorce paper · Using divorce papers for NID, passport and abroad · Red flags and fake divorce papers

The short answer

A Muslim divorce in Bangladesh is proved by a set of papers: the written talaq notice with proof it was sent to the Chairman and the spouse, and, after the 90 days, the registration of the divorce by a Nikah Registrar (Kazi). The certified copy of that register entry is what most people mean by a talaknama or divorce paper. If the divorce came from the Family Court, the certified copy of the decree is the proof.

Which papers prove a divorce

An affidavit of divorce made before a notary is not a divorce and will not be accepted as proof.

Registering the divorce with the Kazi

1. Wait until 90 days have passed from the Chairman receiving the notice, without withdrawal. If the wife is pregnant, it takes effect at the end of the 90 days or when the pregnancy ends, whichever is later.
2. Go to the Nikah Registrar of the area, preferably the one who registered the marriage, with the kabin nama copy, the notice, the post receipts and both NIDs.
3. The Kazi enters the divorce in his divorce register and both sides sign where possible.
4. Pay the official fee, currently Tk 1,000 for registering a talaq, and take a receipt.
5. Take two certified copies of the entry. This is your talaknama.

Some Chairman and city corporation offices also issue a letter confirming that the 90 days ran without reconciliation. It is useful extra proof but does not replace registration.

Registration is going online too. The 2025 amendment to the registration rules covers talaq as well as marriage: filing and fees online, and digital divorce certificates verifiable against the register. The rollout is phased, so until your registrar’s office joins the system, the register entry and the certified copy remain what courts, embassies and passport offices will ask for.

How to get a lost divorce paper

• Registered divorce: apply to the same Kazi for a fresh certified copy. If he has retired or died, apply to the District Registrar’s office, where his registers are kept.
• Court divorce: apply to the Family Court’s copying section for a certified copy of the decree, with the case number.
• Notice only, never registered: register it now if both the notice and the 90 days can be proved. If facts are disputed, a court declaration may be needed.

Using divorce papers for NID, passport and abroad

• NID and passport: to remove a former spouse’s name or change marital status, the offices ask for the certified talaknama or decree.
• Remarriage: the Kazi will ask for proof that the earlier marriage ended. A woman must also complete her iddat.
• Abroad: notarise the certified copy, have it attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or apostilled, and add a certified English translation.
• Divorce done abroad: to be recognised in Bangladesh, the notice still has to reach the Chairman; the Bangladesh mission can help forward it. See our divorce guide.

Red flags and fake divorce papers

• A “divorce paper” issued on the same day as the notice. A talaq cannot take effect before 90 days.
• No register volume, page and serial number, or no Kazi licence number.
• A notary affidavit presented as a divorce.
• Signatures of the wife on papers she never saw. Forged divorce papers are a criminal offence and can be challenged in court.

If you are unsure whether a divorce paper is genuine, ask the named Kazi to confirm the entry against his register.