Land Measurement Converter for Bangladesh: Decimal, Katha, Bigha, Acre and Square Feet

In this guide: How many decimals in a katha, bigha and acre? · Decimal to katha conversion table · Ojutangsho, gonda, kani and local units · How to work out land area in decimals · When the measurement and the papers do not match

The short answer

In standard measurement, 1 katha is 720 square feet, which is about 1.65 decimal, so 1 decimal is about 0.6 katha. One decimal (shotangsho or shotok, the same thing) is 435.6 square feet, and 100 decimals make 1 acre of 43,560 square feet. One bigha is 20 katha, or 14,400 square feet, which is about 33 decimals. Some districts use local units such as kani and gonda, and a local bigha can differ, so always rely on the decimals or acres in the deed and khatian.

How many decimals in a katha, bigha and acre?

Shotangsho, shotok and decimal are three names for the same unit: one hundredth of an acre. Ojutangsho is one ten-thousandth of an acre. That is why a khatian may show an area such as .0825 acre, which is 8.25 decimals.

Which unit should you trust? The khatian and the deed are the legal record, and both use acres or decimals. In Dhaka and other cities, plots are usually priced per katha, and flats per square foot. Village land is often priced per decimal or per local bigha. Whatever unit the price is quoted in, convert it to decimals and check it against the papers before you agree.

Decimal to katha conversion table

To convert decimal to katha, multiply by 0.605, or divide by 1.65. To convert katha to decimal, multiply by 1.65. To convert decimal to square feet, multiply by 435.6.

Ojutangsho, gonda, kani and local units

Not every district uses katha and bigha. In parts of Chattogram, Noakhali, Cumilla, Sylhet and some other areas, people use the kani and its parts. A common government reference gives 1 kani = 20 gonda and 1 gonda = 2 decimals, which makes a kani 40 decimals. But the size of a kani, and of its smaller parts such as kora and kranti, differs from place to place.

The same is true of the bigha and even the katha in some rural areas. A “local bigha” may be bigger or smaller than the standard 33 decimals.

• Always ask which unit and which local size the seller means.
• Write the area in the deed in decimals or acres, matching the khatian.
• If the price is per katha or per gonda, convert it to decimals in writing before you pay.

How to work out land area in decimals

For a rectangular plot, measure the length and the width in feet, multiply them, and divide by 435.6. For example, 60 ft by 40 ft is 2,400 sq ft, which is 5.51 decimals or 3.33 katha.

For an irregular plot, divide it into rectangles and triangles. The area of a triangle is half the base times the height. Add the parts together. If opposite sides are of different lengths, using the average of each pair gives only a rough answer.

Surveyors traditionally use Gunter’s chain: 66 feet divided into 100 links. Ten square chains make one acre, so one square chain is 10 decimals.

To measure from a mouza map, check the scale printed on the map. Many mouza maps are drawn at 16 inches to a mile, where one inch on the map is 330 feet on the ground, but some city maps use a larger scale.

When the measurement and the papers do not match

It is common to find that the land on the ground is smaller or larger than the deed, or that the deed and the khatian give different areas. Before you buy or sell:

1. Compare the area in the deed, the khatian and the mutation khatian.
2. Have a licensed surveyor (amin) measure the land against the mouza map, with neighbours present.
3. Mark the boundaries and record the measurement in writing.
4. If a record is wrong, correct it before the transfer.

Buying more than the seller’s share in the khatian is a common cause of later disputes. See what to check before you buy land and, for a shared plot, dividing inherited land.