Kabin Nama (Nikahnama) in Bangladesh: What It Says, What to Check, and How to Get a Copy

In this guide: What the kabin nama records · What to check before you sign · Kazi fee and registration · Online and digital registration · How to get a copy of your kabin nama · Lost kabin nama or a mistake in it · Kabin nama, court marriage and other communities

The short answer

A kabin nama (nikahnama) is the official marriage register entry made by a licensed Nikah Registrar, called the Kazi, under the Muslim Marriages and Divorces (Registration) Act 1974. It records the bride and groom, their representatives and witnesses, the denmohor and how it is paid, any special conditions, whether the wife has a delegated right to divorce (column 18) and whether the groom has an existing wife. Each party gets a copy, and a certified copy can be taken from the Kazi’s register at any time.

What the kabin nama records

What to check before you sign

• Names, fathers’ names, ages and addresses exactly as in the NIDs.
• The denmohor in figures and words, and how much is prompt, deferred and paid now.
• Jewellery or property counted as dower is described, or left out.
• Column 18 is filled as agreed. Blank or crossed out means no delegated right.
• Witnesses are present, adult and named with addresses.
• The Kazi’s licence number, register volume and page number are written.
• The fee receipt is given.

We review kabin namas before weddings; see our marriage registration service.

Kazi fee and registration

The Nikah Registrar must register the marriage. If the marriage was solemnised by someone else, the groom must report it to the Kazi for registration within 30 days. Not registering is an offence, although the marriage itself remains valid if it was properly solemnised.

The government fee is Tk 14 for every Tk 1,000 of denmohor up to Tk 5 lakh, with a minimum of Tk 200, and a separate rate above that. The groom normally pays. Charges beyond the official fee are not lawful, so ask for a receipt.

Online kabin nama: where digital registration stands

In 2025 the Law Ministry amended the Muslim Marriages and Divorces (Registration) Rules 2009 to allow online registration: fees paid online, entries signed digitally, and marriage and divorce certificates issued in digital form. In December 2025 the High Court Division directed the government to digitalise marriage and divorce registration, and the ministry signed the implementation agreement in September 2026. Kazi offices are being brought onto the system in phases.

Until your Kazi’s office is connected, the paper register entry remains the operative record, so keep certified copies as before. Once digital certificates issue, they can be verified against a central database and are planned to link with NID and passport records, which will make a forged kabin nama much easier to detect.

How to get a copy of your kabin nama

1. Go to the Kazi who registered the marriage. Give the registration number, date and both names. He issues a certified copy from his register for a small fee.
2. If the Kazi has died, retired or moved, his registers are handed to the District Registrar’s office, which can issue the copy.
3. For use abroad, have the certified copy notarised and attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or apostilled, and translated if needed.

Some Kazis keep digital records and send scanned copies, but online checking is not yet available everywhere. The certified copy from the register is what courts and embassies accept.

Lost kabin nama or a mistake in it

• Lost copy: not a problem. Take a fresh certified copy from the register.
• Spelling or date errors: apply to the same Nikah Registrar with NIDs and birth certificates. Minor clerical errors can be corrected with a note in the register.
• Disputed facts such as the dower amount or column 18: the Kazi cannot change them alone. They need both spouses’ agreement or a court declaration.
• Unregistered marriage: register it late through the Kazi with witnesses, or seek a court declaration of marriage if the other side denies it.

Kabin nama, court marriage and other communities

A “court marriage” affidavit is not a kabin nama and does not create a marriage; see our court marriage guide. Hindus register under the Hindu Marriage Registration Act 2012, which is optional but advisable. Christian marriages are registered under the Christian Marriage Act 1872, and a civil marriage can be registered under the Special Marriage Act 1872.