Before any payment, confirm that the developer is registered, that the landowner has signed a registered joint venture agreement and power of attorney, that RAJUK has issued land use clearance, design approval and a construction permit for this building, and that the land is not mortgaged or in dispute. The 2010 Act prohibits developers from advertising, booking or selling before approval and transfer authority are in place. We review the documents, search the records and visit the sub-registry, and advise whether the project is safe before any residential property payment is made. Payments should only follow a clear report.

We trace ownership through the registered deeds going back over a sufficient period, compare them with the record of rights from the relevant surveys and the current mutation khatian, and check land development tax receipts. We search for mortgages, court orders, acquisition notices and government claims, and confirm the seller's identity and authority to sell. Where ownership came by inheritance, every heir or a properly authorised representative must join. Our report identifies gaps and practical steps to cure them before the buyer commits to the residential property. Gaps are common in older family holdings and inherited land.

Registration costs usually include stamp duty, registration fee, local government tax and advance income tax at source, calculated on the deed value or the government's minimum valuation, whichever applies. New apartments bought from developers may also attract VAT. Rates differ by area and type of property and are changed through Finance Acts and government orders, so we confirm the current figures before execution. Our insight article on property registration fees gives worked examples. We give each client a written cost estimate so that funds are ready on the day of registration. Budget for these costs from the outset.

Under the 2010 Act, the developer must hand over possession and execute and register the transfer deed within a set period after the buyer has paid the full price. In practice some buyers wait years because the developer delays, the building lacks an occupancy certificate or the landowner and developer disagree on allocation. Possession without a registered deed leaves the buyer exposed. We press developers to register on time, use the statutory and contractual remedies where they do not, and advise buyers not to hand over final payments without a clear registration timetable. Keep every payment receipt safely.

Yes. Non-resident Bangladeshis can buy residential property in Bangladesh, funding the purchase through inward remittances or permitted housing finance. Because they are often not in the country, most use a power of attorney executed abroad before a Bangladesh mission or properly notarised and authenticated, then registered or endorsed in Bangladesh as required. Rules on power of attorney identification documents were relaxed in 2025 for certain expatriate transactions. We advise on the documents, review the attorney's authority and handle due diligence and registration directly, so the buyer is not dependent on informal arrangements with relatives or agents.

Foreign nationals face a more restrictive regime. Ownership of land by foreigners is generally limited, and purchases may need approvals, payment in foreign currency through banking channels and careful structuring. Some government agency projects are closed to foreign buyers. Foreigners married to Bangladeshi citizens, foreign investors buying for business purposes and those buying through a company each raise different questions. We advise on what is permitted for the particular buyer before any agreement is signed, and our insight article on foreign investment in Bangladesh real estate explains the main structures in more detail. Each structure has tax consequences too.

The 2010 Act gives buyers meaningful remedies. If handover is delayed beyond the agreed date, the developer may have to refund amounts paid with contractual compensation, or a statutory amount where none is fixed. Building outside the approved design is an offence. The Act also provides for settlement and arbitration before court proceedings. We review the agreement and payments, write to the developer setting out the claim, use REHAB mediation where the developer is a member, and if needed bring arbitration, civil suits or complaints to RAJUK or the police to protect the buyer's investment.

Registration transfers ownership, but the land records maintained by the land administration still show the previous owner until mutation, known as namjari, is completed. Without mutation, the buyer may struggle to pay land development tax in their own name, obtain utility connections, mortgage or sell the residential property, or defend it against competing claims. Mutation applications are now largely made online, but objections and record errors can cause delays. We apply for mutation promptly after registration, respond to hearings and objections, and correct the khatian where it contains errors. Delays usually reflect record errors or unresolved objections from others.