How to Verify Land Ownership in Bangladesh Before Buying: Khatian, Dag & Mutation Checklist
Most land disputes in Bangladesh are created on the day of purchase, by a buyer who checked nothing or checked only what the seller handed over. This is the check I would want done before any client pays an advance: what to look at, what each document proves, and what it does not.
- An original deed alone proves nothing about a clean title
- Check the chain of deeds against every survey khatian
- The seller must be mutated and the latest record in their name
- A bainanama must be registered to be enforceable
In this guide: 1. The chain of deeds · 2. The khatian: CS, SA, RS and BS · 3. Mutation and land development tax · 4. The plot on the ground · 5. Mortgages, agreements and cases · 6. Government land and restricted categories · The bainanama (agreement to sell) · Red flags · After you buy
The short answer
Before you pay anything, confirm five things: the seller has an unbroken chain of registered deeds; the seller’s name is on the latest khatian and the mutation record; the plot on the ground is the plot on the mouza map; there is no mortgage, agreement or pending case over it; and the land is not government khas, vested or acquired land. Each of these is checked against official records, not against photocopies the seller supplies.
1. The chain of deeds
Ask for the seller’s deed and the earlier deeds behind it, the baya deeds, going back at least to the last survey and preferably 25 to 30 years. You want an unbroken chain in which every transfer was registered and every seller actually owned what they sold. Take certified copies from the Sub-Registry or the District Record Room and compare them with the seller’s copies. A gap in the chain is where the dispute will come from.
2. The khatian: CS, SA, RS and BS
The khatian is the record of rights, and a porcha is a copy of it. Bangladesh has several surveys: CS (the oldest), SA, RS and, in many areas, BS or the city survey. Trace the plot through each. A plot that is clean in RS but shows someone else in BS needs an explanation before you proceed. You can view many khatians online through the government land portal, but confirm them at the AC Land office or with a certified copy.
3. Mutation and land development tax
The seller must be mutated as owner: the latest khatian and the mutation record (with the DCR) should be in the seller’s name. Section 52A of the Registration Act requires the Sub-Registrar to see the seller’s name in the latest record before registering a sale, so this is not optional. Ask for current land development tax receipts (dakhila) in the seller’s name. They support both ownership and possession.
4. The plot on the ground
Match the dag number to the mouza map, and the map to the land you were shown. Have a surveyor measure it if the area or boundaries are in any doubt. Recorded areas often shrink between surveys, and the land pointed out to a buyer is not always the land on the record.
5. Mortgages, agreements and cases
Search the Sub-Registry for registered mortgages, agreements for sale and powers of attorney over the land. Check the civil courts for title suits, partition suits, pre-emption cases and injunctions, and ask neighbours whether anyone else claims the land. A seller will almost never volunteer any of this.
6. Government land and restricted categories
Confirm with the AC Land or the DC office that the land is not khas (government) land, is not listed as vested or abandoned property, and is not under an acquisition notice. For flats and developed plots, also check RAJUK or the relevant development authority’s plan approval and the developer’s agreement with the landowner.
The bainanama (agreement to sell)
A bainanama must be registered within 60 days of signing under section 17A of the Registration Act. An unregistered bainanama cannot be enforced by a suit for specific performance. Never pay a large advance on an unregistered agreement, and never pay before the checks above are done.
Red flags
- A seller in a hurry, or a price well below the area’s going rate.
- Inherited land sold by one heir without the others signing.
- A power of attorney holder selling instead of the owner.
- Records that do not match the map, or an area that does not match what is being sold.
- A seller who will not let you take certified copies yourself.
After you buy
Register the sale deed, pay the source tax and fees at registration, and apply for mutation in the same week. A registered but unmutated purchase leaves the seller on the record, which is exactly the gap a dishonest seller or heir exploits.
Collect the papers
Deeds and baya deeds, every survey khatian, mutation record and DCR, tax receipts, mouza map.
Verify at source
Certified copies from the Sub-Registry and record room; khatian confirmed at the AC Land office.
Search for claims
Mortgages, agreements and powers of attorney at the registry; cases in court; khas or vested status.
Then transact
Registered bainanama, registered sale deed, and mutation applied for the same week.
Want us to check the land for you?
Send the deed and khatian before you pay any advance. We search the record and reply within 24 hours. A written assessment costs nothing.
Common questions
The seller has the original deed. Is that enough?
No. An original deed proves one transfer. It does not prove a clean chain, and it tells you nothing about a mortgage, a later sale or a pending case.
How do I check a khatian online?
Use the government land portal: select division, district, upazila and mouza, then search by khatian or dag number. Treat it as a first check and confirm with a certified copy, because online records can lag.
What is the difference between CS, SA, RS and BS khatian?
They are the records of successive surveys, CS being the oldest and BS or city survey the latest in many areas. A clean title runs consistently through them. A mismatch between RS and BS must be explained before you buy.
Does the bainanama have to be registered?
Yes, within 60 days of signing. An unregistered bainanama cannot be enforced by a suit for specific performance.
How do I find out if land has a mortgage or a case?
Search the Sub-Registry for registered mortgages and agreements, and the civil courts for suits and injunctions. A clean khatian does not rule either out.
Can one heir sell inherited land?
One heir can sell only his or her own share, and only after the inheritance is mutated. A buyer who takes a specific plot from one heir without the others is buying a partition dispute.
How long does a proper land check take?
A single plot with a short history usually takes one to two weeks. Inherited or repeatedly sold land takes longer, and that is usually where the risk is.
Do I need a lawyer to check land?
You can do the online checks yourself. Reading a chain of deeds, spotting a broken link and judging a power-of-attorney sale is where untrained buyers lose money.
I am buying through a power of attorney. What should I check?
That the power is registered, expressly covers selling this land, and has not been cancelled, and that the owner is alive: a power of attorney ends on the owner’s death. Confirm by speaking to the owner, in person or by video.
Should I pay an advance (bayna) before the papers are checked?
No. Pay an advance only after the khatian, mutation, DCR, deed search and case check are clean, and register the bainanama within 60 days so it can be enforced.
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