At minimum, the record-of-rights khatians from the relevant surveys, the current mutation record, the registered title deeds forming the chain of ownership, inheritance documents where land passed on death, land development tax receipts and a non-encumbrance search at the sub-registry. You should also check physical possession, boundaries and access, whether the land is subject to government claims, and whether any suit or injunction is pending. For industrial land, zoning, environmental and utility questions also matter. A thorough land acquisition review compares all of these sources rather than relying on any one of them alone.

A company incorporated in Bangladesh can generally acquire land in its own name, even where its shareholders are foreign, subject to sector rules, landholding ceilings and the purpose of use. Foreign individuals face significant restrictions on direct ownership, so they usually invest through a local company or take a long lease. Funds for the land acquisition should come through formal banking channels and be properly reported, so that the investment can later be sold and the proceeds repatriated. We check the position for your particular structure before you sign a sale agreement or transfer money.

Mutation, often called namjari, is the process by which the Assistant Commissioner (Land) updates the government record of rights to show a new owner after a sale, gift or inheritance. Registration of the deed transfers title, but without mutation the record still shows the previous owner, land development tax cannot be paid in the buyer's name, and later sale, mortgage or development becomes harder. Banks and buyers usually insist on a mutated khatian. We treat mutation as a required step of every land acquisition, not an optional afterthought, and follow it through to completion.

It depends on the number of owners, the condition of the records and whether any plots are disputed. A single clean plot can move quickly once documents are ready. A project assembling many small holdings from families with complex inheritance often takes much longer, because each owner's title must be checked and each deed registered and mutated separately. We prepare a land acquisition plan that tracks every plot, flags problem titles early and allows the client to decide whether to proceed, redesign the site or seek another location before spending escalates on a site that may never be fully assembled.

Under the Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act 2017, the Deputy Commissioner issues notices, receives objections, conducts joint inspections and assesses compensation for the land, structures, trees and crops, with a statutory premium over assessed market value. The decision is then confirmed by the appropriate authority and compensation is paid to those whose ownership is proved. Owners should respond within the time allowed and keep evidence of value and ownership. We help affected owners and businesses engage with the process and challenge compulsory land acquisition decisions where they are unlawful or compensation is wrongly assessed.

Bangladesh law gives certain co-sharers a right of pre-emption, which allows them to apply to court to take over a sale of a share in a jointly held holding to an outsider by paying the price plus a statutory compensation. The right is exercised within limitation periods and is subject to conditions, so the risk depends on the facts. Before land acquisition, we identify co-sharers, consider whether consents or notices can reduce exposure, and structure the transaction accordingly. If a pre-emption case is filed, our litigation team defends the buyer. Map family trees and holdings before agreeing a price.

Registration of a sale deed attracts registration fees, stamp duty, local government tax and advance income tax, and the total depends on the deed value, location and the type of property. Rates are revised through finance legislation and government notifications, so we calculate them for each transaction rather than relying on old schedules. Undervaluing a deed to reduce costs creates legal and tax risk and can later weaken the buyer's position. We also advise on gain tax for sellers, which often affects the negotiated price, and on how costs are shared. Buyers should budget for all these costs.

Errors in khatians, survey maps or mutation records are common, especially where land passed through several inheritances or where a survey misrecorded a name, share or plot number. Some errors can be corrected through administrative applications to the land offices, while others require a suit before the Land Survey Tribunal or a civil court. Correction can take time, so we advise whether to complete the purchase first with protective terms, delay completion until the record is fixed, or walk away. Clean records also make later financing and resale of the land far easier, because lenders usually require them.