A UK power of attorney for Bangladesh lets someone in Dhaka, Sylhet or Chittagong buy, sell, manage or litigate over your property while you stay in Britain. It only works if it is signed in the right place, in the right form, and processed in Bangladesh within strict time limits; otherwise sub-registry offices simply refuse it.
- Powers of attorney are governed by the Power of Attorney Act 2012 and the Power of Attorney Rules 2015, which were amended on 12 February 2025.
- For land and property, the standard route is to sign in person before a consular officer at the Bangladesh High Commission in London or an Assistant High Commission, in the prescribed form.
- Since the 2025 amendment, a Bangladeshi passport is no longer essential: an NID, a verifiable birth certificate or a foreign passport with a No Visa Required endorsement can be used.
- Once in Bangladesh, the power is countersigned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stamped, and authenticated by the Deputy Commissioner before it can be used.
- Bangladesh joined the Apostille Convention with effect from 30 March 2025, which helps with company documents but does not replace the prescribed route for property powers.
What a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh is
In simple terms, a power of attorney is a document by which one person (the principal or donor) authorises another (the attorney) to act on their behalf. For British Bangladeshis, the attorney is usually a sibling, cousin or trusted lawyer in Bangladesh who needs to deal with land, a flat, a bank account or a court case.
The law that decides whether the document works is Bangladeshi law, not English law. The key instruments are the Power of Attorney Act 2012, the Power of Attorney Rules 2015, the Stamp Act 1899 and the Registration Act 1908. A UK power of attorney for Bangladesh must satisfy those rules, whatever form it would take for use in England.
Why an English lasting power of attorney will not do
An English lasting power of attorney registered with the Office of the Public Guardian, or a general power under the Powers of Attorney Act 1971, is designed for use in England and Wales. Sub-registrars, land offices and most banks in Bangladesh will not accept it for property transactions. You need a separate document prepared for Bangladesh.
General, special and irrevocable powers
A general power authorises a wide range of acts; a special power authorises a specific transaction, such as selling one plot. Bangladeshi practice strongly favours specific powers for land: the more precisely the property and the authorised acts are described, the less room there is for refusal or misuse. The 2012 Act also recognises irrevocable powers, typically given for consideration in a sale, which cannot be cancelled unilaterally; these need particular care and legal advice.
Choosing the right type of power
Before drafting, be clear about what the attorney must actually do. The purpose decides the form, the schedule of property and the steps in Bangladesh.
| Purpose | Usual type | Points to cover |
|---|---|---|
| Selling land or a flat | Special power, property described in a schedule | Dag, khatian and mouza details, price authority, receipt of money, signing and presenting the sale deed |
| Buying property | Special power | Searching title, paying price, signing and registering the deed, mutation |
| Mutation and land tax | Special or limited power | Applying for mutation (namjari), paying land development tax, collecting records |
| Inherited property | Special power, often by all heirs | Succession certificate, joint mutation, partition deed |
| Rent and management | Limited general power | Letting, collecting rent, repairs, utility accounts, tenancy disputes |
| Court cases | Special power for litigation | Filing and defending suits, appointing lawyers, compromise authority |
| Company and bank matters | Corporate power by board resolution | Opening accounts, signing filings, representing the company |
Choosing correctly matters because a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh drafted for one purpose cannot simply be reused for another; a power to manage rent does not authorise a sale. For inherited land, remember the Ministry of Land's February 2025 rule that inherited land is mutated jointly in all heirs' names unless there is a registered partition. If several heirs live in the UK, each must sign a power, or all can sign one document together at the mission. Our guide to the succession certificate explains the first step.
Where to sign: the High Commission and Assistant High Commissions
Rule 10 of the Power of Attorney Rules 2015 deals with powers executed outside Bangladesh, and Form 3 of Schedule Ka sets out the prescribed format. In practice, a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh concerning property is signed before a consular officer of the Bangladesh High Commission in London or one of the Assistant High Commissions in Birmingham and Manchester. The High Commission also holds outreach consular camps, including in Ireland.
The person giving a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh must attend in person and sign in front of the officer. A relative cannot sign on their behalf, and the High Commission does not attest a power that was signed beforehand at home or before a UK solicitor.
What to bring
- The power, typed in the prescribed format and left unsigned, with the copies the mission requires.
- Proof of Bangladeshi identity: a Bangladeshi passport, an NID card, a birth certificate verifiable online, or a foreign passport with a No Visa Required endorsement.
- Recent passport-size photographs of each person giving the power and of the attorney.
- Copies of the land documents, such as the deed (dalil) and khatian, and a succession certificate where the land was inherited.
- The fee, which the mission publishes with regular and express options. Check the current amount on the High Commission's website before attending.
The 12 February 2025 amendment to the Rules widened the accepted identity documents to include NID cards, birth certificates and NVR-endorsed foreign passports. Some older checklists still ask for a Bangladeshi passport. If you have only a British passport with NVR, bring the NVR evidence and a copy of the amended rule, and confirm with the mission in advance.
Executing and attesting a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh
The sequence below is the one we use for a typical property power signed in the UK. Each step must be complete before the next begins.
- Draft the power. Prepare it in the prescribed form, in Bangla or English, with a schedule describing each property by district, upazila, mouza, khatian and dag number.
- Book an appointment. Use the booking system of the High Commission or the relevant Assistant High Commission, or an outreach camp near you.
- Sign before the officer. Attend in person with identity documents and photographs. Sign and give thumb impressions as the officer directs.
- Collect the attested document. Check every page has been signed, sealed and numbered, and that the names match the land records.
- Send it to Bangladesh. Courier the original to your attorney or lawyer immediately. Do not wait for a convenient time.
- Ministry countersignature. The attorney takes it to the consular wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka for countersignature.
- Stamp and authenticate. Stamp duty is paid and the power is authenticated at the Deputy Commissioner's office, after which it can be used.
Delays with a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh usually arise at the start (a poorly drafted schedule) or in the middle (the document sits in a drawer in London for weeks). Both are avoidable.
Drafting the power so it is accepted
Most refusals in Bangladesh come from drafting problems rather than from the attestation itself. A good UK power of attorney for Bangladesh does four things.
Identifies the property exactly
Describe each plot or flat as the land records describe it: district, upazila or thana, mouza, JL number, khatian numbers under the relevant survey, dag numbers and area. For flats, add the building, floor, flat number and the deed by which you acquired it. A schedule copied from your deed is safer than one written from memory.
Lists the authorised acts
Spell out each act: negotiating a price, receiving money, signing and presenting a sale deed, applying for mutation, paying taxes, appearing before the sub-registrar, appointing lawyers. Vague phrases such as "to do all things necessary" are read narrowly in Bangladesh.
Sets limits
Consider a minimum sale price, a requirement that sale money be paid into your account, a ban on further delegation, and an end date. These protect you if the relationship with the attorney sours.
Matches the names
Names in a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh must match the khatian, the deed and the identity document. If your British passport spells your name differently, explain the variation in the document and support it with evidence.
Where the property is a RAJUK plot or flat in Dhaka, RAJUK's own approval process for powers of attorney also applies; check the requirements on the RAJUK website before drafting.
After signing: Ministry, stamping and authentication
The time limits are where many powers fail, so plan them before the appointment. The High Commission's guidance asks for the attested document to be countersigned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka within two months of signing, and the 2025 amendment to the Rules requires a power authenticated abroad to be sent to Bangladesh within six months. Follow the shorter period.
Under section 18 of the Stamp Act 1899, an instrument executed outside Bangladesh may be stamped within three months after it is first received in Bangladesh. The power is then authenticated by the Deputy Commissioner, acting as Collector. Without that authentication, sub-registrars will not act on it.
Registration and the 2025 High Court Division ruling
Where the power authorises sale or transfer of land, the sub-registry will examine it closely, and practice on registration of foreign-executed powers varies between offices.
In Writ Petition No. 3890 of 2025, decided on 7 December 2025, the High Court Division held that a Dhaka sub-registrar had acted unlawfully in refusing a power executed in the USA as time-barred, where the delay had been caused by the state's own stamping process, and directed acceptance within one month. The same logic protects a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh delayed by official processing, but only if you can prove the dates: signing, receipt by the Ministry, stamping and presentation.
Keep courier receipts and Ministry receiving stamps. If the power is refused as late, those dates are your evidence that any delay was not yours. Without them, the only safe course may be to sign a fresh power.
The notary and apostille route since 2025
Bangladesh acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 29 July 2024, and the Convention entered into force for Bangladesh on 30 March 2025. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now issues e-Apostilles for Bangladeshi public documents, and Bangladesh accepts apostilles issued by other member states, including the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
In principle, a document notarised by a UK notary public and apostilled by the FCDO no longer needs further legalisation by the Bangladesh High Commission. That is useful for corporate documents.
But an apostille only certifies the notary's signature and seal; it does not change Bangladeshi rules on how a power of attorney must be executed. For a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh dealing with land, the safer course remains execution before the Bangladesh mission in the prescribed form, because that is what the 2015 Rules contemplate and what sub-registrars expect.
Notarised and apostilled documents still need stamping in Bangladesh within three months of arrival, just like mission-attested ones. If you cannot reach a mission, ask a Bangladeshi lawyer to confirm with the relevant office whether a notarised and apostilled power will be accepted for your purpose before you rely on it.
Corporate powers of attorney from UK companies
UK companies investing in Bangladesh often need a power of attorney for a local director, manager or law firm to open bank accounts, sign RJSC filings, deal with Invest Bangladesh (formerly BIDA) or represent the company before regulators.
The usual package is a board resolution authorising the power, the power itself signed under the company's execution formalities, notarisation by a UK notary, and an FCDO apostille. Banks and regulators in Bangladesh sometimes still ask for High Commission attestation out of habit, so check the receiving institution's checklist. Stamp duty in Bangladesh still applies within three months of arrival. For the wider setup process, see our guide to making a power of attorney in Bangladesh and our England and Wales desk.
Using the power in Bangladesh
Once a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh is authenticated, the attorney presents it with the transaction documents at the sub-registry, land office, bank or court. For a sale, the seller's name must appear in the latest khatian under section 52A of the Registration Act 1908, so mutation may have to be completed first.
The attorney owes you duties of good faith and must account for money received. Ask for copies of every deed, receipt and bank transfer. If sale proceeds are to be sent to the UK, remember that remittance from Bangladesh is subject to Bangladesh Bank foreign exchange rules; take advice before the sale rather than after.
Revoking a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh
A revocable power can be cancelled by a deed of revocation, ideally executed through the mission in the same way, with notice to the attorney and to any sub-registry or bank that holds a copy. An irrevocable power given for consideration generally cannot be cancelled without the attorney's agreement. If a family dispute is brewing, revoke early and in writing.
Common mistakes with a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh
- Signing before a UK solicitor only. A document witnessed in a UK office without mission attestation is usually refused for land.
- Vague property schedules. No dag or khatian numbers, or numbers from the wrong survey.
- Name mismatches. Different spellings across passport, deed and khatian without explanation.
- Missing heirs. One sibling gives a power for inherited land that belongs to all the heirs.
- Late dispatch. The power sits in the UK for months and misses the Ministry or stamping deadline.
- Too wide a power. Unlimited authority with no price floor and no reporting duty.
Frequently asked questions about uk power of attorney for bangladesh
Can I sign the power at a UK solicitor's office?
For land and property, sign before the Bangladesh High Commission or an Assistant High Commission. A document signed only before a UK solicitor is usually refused by sub-registrars, even with an apostille.
I have only a British passport. Can I still give a power?
Yes, if you can prove Bangladeshi origin. Since February 2025 the Rules accept a foreign passport with a No Visa Required endorsement, an NID card or a verifiable birth certificate.
How long is a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh valid?
A power remains valid until it is revoked, expires under its own terms, or ends by law, for example on the donor's death. Processing deadlines are separate: it must reach Bangladesh and be stamped within the set periods.
Do all heirs need to sign for inherited land?
Usually yes. Each heir can only authorise dealings with their own share. Where several heirs live in the UK, they can sign one joint power at the mission.
Does the apostille replace High Commission attestation?
For many public and company documents it does, since Bangladesh joined the Apostille Convention in 2025. For property powers, execution before the mission in the prescribed form is still the reliable route.
How we can help
We draft property and corporate powers for clients in England and Wales, check schedules against the land records, coordinate signing at the High Commission, and handle the Ministry countersignature, stamping, authentication and the transaction itself in Bangladesh. Whether you need a single sale power or a UK power of attorney for Bangladesh covering a whole family estate, learn more about our services for clients in England and Wales.
Need a power of attorney drafted in the UK?
Send us your land documents and tell us what the attorney must do. We will prepare the power, guide you through the High Commission appointment and take it through every step in Bangladesh.
Book a consultationEngland and Wales deskPrimary sources: the Power of Attorney Act 2012, the Stamp Act 1899 and the Registration Act 1908 on the Laws of Bangladesh portal; the Power of Attorney Rules 2015 as amended on 12 February 2025 (reported by bdnews24); consular guidance from the Bangladesh High Commission, London; attestation and apostille services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; High Court Division, Writ Petition No. 3890 of 2025 (judgment 7 December 2025).
This article is general information about Bangladeshi law as of 2026 and is not legal advice. Consular requirements, fees and time limits change; confirm the current position with the Bangladesh High Commission or a qualified lawyer before acting.
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