Which Court or Office? Find the Right Forum and Deadline for 16 Common Legal Problems
Half of the delay in Bangladeshi cases comes from starting in the wrong place. Choose your problem and the finder shows the remedy, the court or office that hears it and the time limit, with a link to the full guide.
- 16 problems across land, money, family, criminal, work and business
- Shows remedy, forum and time limit
- Links to the full guide for each
- Print the result to take with you
- General guidance; facts can change the route
In this guide: How the court system is arranged · Deadlines decide more cases than evidence · When the problem fits more than one box
The short answer
Bangladesh has separate forums for different disputes: civil courts for title and money, the Family Court for dower and custody, the Labour Court for dismissal and dues, Magistrates for criminal complaints, the Land Survey Tribunal for record errors, administrative officers for namjari, and the High Court Division for writs and company matters. Picking the wrong one costs months and can let a deadline pass. Use the finder below, then read the guide it links to.
How the court system is arranged
- Civil courts (Assistant Judge to District Judge): title, possession, partition, money, contracts; jurisdiction depends on the value of the suit.
- Special courts and tribunals: Family Court, Labour Court, Artha Rin Adalat, Land Survey Tribunal, Cyber Tribunal, Nari o Shishu tribunals.
- Criminal courts: Magistrates for complaints and bail, Sessions courts for serious offences.
- Administrative offices: AC (Land) and ADC (Revenue) for namjari and land tax; local councils for warish certificates and talaq notices.
- High Court Division: writs, company matters, appeals and revisions.
Deadlines decide more cases than evidence
Every route has a clock. Some are short: 30 days for a namjari review, a consumer complaint or a Labour Court grievance; one month to file a cheque case after the payment period ends. Others run for years. Use the limitation period lookup to check yours.
When the problem fits more than one box
Many disputes have two tracks at once: an occupied plot can be a civil suit and a criminal complaint; a cheque case runs alongside a money suit; workplace harassment can go to the committee and the police. Choosing both, in the right order, is often the strongest strategy. Our case review service maps it for you.
Name the problem
Pick the closest match.
Check the forum
Court, tribunal or office.
Check the deadline
Do not let it pass.
Read the guide
Then collect the papers.
Common questions
Which court handles land disputes in Bangladesh?
Title, possession and partition go to the civil courts; errors in the survey record go to the Land Survey Tribunal; namjari disputes go to the AC (Land) and ADC (Revenue); breach of peace over land can go to a Magistrate under section 145 CrPC.
Where do I file a divorce, dower or custody case?
Talaq notice goes to the Chairman or Mayor; dower, maintenance and custody claims go to the Family Court of the district.
Where do I file a cheque bounce case?
A complaint under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in the Magistrate's court of the area; cases above Tk 5 lakh are tried by the Joint Sessions Judge.
Where do I complain about unpaid salary?
First to the employer in writing within 30 days, then to the Labour Court under section 33 of the Labour Act.
Who handles fake Facebook accounts and online harassment?
Report to the platform and complain to the police cyber unit or thana; cases are tried in the Cyber Tribunal.
Where do I challenge a government order?
In the High Court Division by a writ petition under Article 102 of the Constitution.
Which court handles shareholder disputes?
The Company Bench of the High Court Division, under section 233 of the Companies Act or by a winding-up petition.
Is the finder a substitute for legal advice?
No. It shows the usual route; facts, district practice and deadlines can change it, so confirm with a lawyer before filing.
More in Courts, Cases & Money Claims
Legal notices, money recovery, cheque cases and how a civil suit runs.
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