Supreme Court Judgments, Summarised

by Barrister Tahmidur Rahman | Nov 3, 2026

Summary

The plaintiff, a settlement holder of land in Lama, Bandarban, sued to cancel two sale deeds of 1991 and a mutation in favour of the defendants. He admitted a 1989 agreement for sale and part payment, but alleged that the deeds were forged and registered by false personation and that he learned of them in 2008. The Senior Assistant Judge, Bandarban, dismissed the suit as time-barred and because no expert opinion was sought, and the District Judge affirmed. In revision, the High Court Division found that the defendants had not produced the original deeds despite a court order, so an adverse presumption under section 114(g) of the Evidence Act arose and the burden shifted to them. The plaintiff's denial of execution was uncontroverted. The deeds were also registered without the affidavit required by P.O. No. 142 of 1972 and without Parishad permission under section 64(1) of the 1989 Ain. Limitation ran from knowledge under Article 91. The suit was decreed and the deeds and mutation cancelled.

Issues

  1. Q1

    Whether the plaintiff executed and registered the two disputed sale deeds of 1991.

  2. Q2

    Whether P.O. No. 142 of 1972 and the Bandarban Parbatya Zila Parishad Ain, 1989 apply to land transfers in the hill districts.

  3. Q3

    Whether the suit for cancellation was barred by limitation.

Key points

  • Where defendants holding the original disputed deeds fail to produce them despite a court order, an adverse presumption under section 114(g) of the Evidence Act, 1872 should be drawn and the burden shifts to them to prove execution.
  • P.O. No. 142 of 1972 extends to the whole of Bangladesh and, together with Regulation No. 1 of 1900, applies in the hill districts.
  • Deeds registered without the transferor's affidavit required by Articles 4 and 5 of P.O. No. 142 of 1972 are not valid and legal under Article 3 of that Order.
  • Transfer of land in Bandarban Hill District without permission of the Parishad under section 64(1) of the 1989 Ain renders the registration illegal.
  • When a deed is obtained by fraud, limitation for a suit for cancellation runs from the date of knowledge of its registration under Article 91 of the Limitation Act, 1908.

It is a settled proposition, that when a deed is obtained by practicing fraud, the limitation regarding filing the suit shall start from the date of knowledge of the registration of the deed.

From the judgment, Justice Md. Shohrowardi
Law considered

Evidence Act, 1872, section 114(g)Bangladesh Transfer of Immovable Property (Temporary Provisions) Order, 1972 (P.O. No. 142 of 1972), Articles 3, 4 and 5Bandarban Parbatya Zila Parishad Ain, 1989, section 64(1)Limitation Act, 1908, Article 91Specific Relief Act, 1877, section 39

The judgment

In the court’s own words.

Civil Revision 3791/2017, as published by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. 10 pages, with paragraph numbers for citing.

PDF
Call the Dhaka office+880 1708 000660WhatsApp · message usMessage our team
Message TRW on WhatsApp