A khatian in Bangladesh is the record of rights that shows who holds a piece of land, the plots involved, their area and the share of each owner. Buyers, heirs, banks and courts all rely on khatians, but there are several kinds from different surveys, and reading them correctly is the foundation of any land transaction.

What a khatian in Bangladesh is

The Bengali word khatian, sometimes called porcha in its draft form, means a record of rights. It is prepared by the government during a land survey, or updated afterwards by mutation. Each khatian has a number within a mouza, which is the smallest revenue unit, roughly equivalent to a village or part of a city ward.

A khatian in Bangladesh lists the names of the owners or tenants, their fathers' or husbands' names and addresses, the plot (dag) numbers covered, the class of land, the area of each plot, each owner's share and, in older records, the rent payable. It does not by itself prove title in every case, but courts give it strong evidentiary value, and the law now ties registration of sales to it.

Key terms

The survey series: CS, SA, RS and BS

Bangladesh's land records come from successive surveys, each producing its own khatians and mouza maps. Understanding the series is essential to reading any khatian in Bangladesh.

CS (Cadastral Survey)

The Cadastral Survey was carried out under British rule from the late nineteenth century into the 1940s, district by district. CS khatians and maps are the oldest systematic records and remain important for tracing the origin of title, especially in disputes about boundaries, inheritance going back several generations and khas (government) land.

SA (State Acquisition) records

After the East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950 abolished the zamindari system, the state prepared new records in the 1950s and early 1960s showing tenants who now held directly under the government. These SA khatians were often prepared quickly, sometimes from CS records without full field verification, so they contain errors that later surveys tried to correct.

RS (Revisional Survey)

The Revisional Survey, carried out under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act over several decades from the mid-1960s, updated records with field measurement. RS khatians are generally more accurate than SA records and are relied on heavily in many districts. Some areas were surveyed again in later rounds.

BS (Bangladesh Survey) and city surveys

The Bangladesh Survey, sometimes called BRS, has been carried out in many districts since independence. In Dhaka and other cities, a city survey (mahanagar jarip) produced its own khatians. BS and city survey records are usually the most recent survey records, and are often what section 52A refers to as the latest khatian where no later mutation exists. A digital survey is now underway in parts of the country, which will produce new records over time.

Mutation khatians

For any khatian in Bangladesh, surveys happen only every few decades, but land changes hands constantly. Between surveys, ownership changes are recorded by mutation, known as namjari or kharij, under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act. When a mutation is approved, the Assistant Commissioner (Land) creates a new khatian, or amends an existing one, in the buyer's or heir's name and issues a DCR.

In 2025 the Ministry of Land changed the approach to inherited land. Under its notification of 11 February 2025, inherited land is mutated jointly in the names of all heirs in a single khatian. A separate khatian for an individual heir can be created only on the basis of a registered partition deed or registered compromise deed. That makes partition deeds far more important than before.

Mutation fees and time

The Ministry of Land has set mutation fees at Tk 20 court fee and Tk 50 notice fee at application, and Tk 1,000 for record correction and Tk 100 for the khatian after approval, a total of Tk 1,170. The target processing time is 28 working days, though it often takes longer in practice. Applications are made online through the land services platform linked from land.gov.bd.

How to read a khatian in Bangladesh

Khatian formats in Bangladesh vary between surveys, but they share common columns. When reading one, check the following:

• Header. District, upazila or thana, mouza name, JL number and khatian number.
• Owners. Names, parents' names and addresses of each owner or tenant, and their shares, often expressed in annas or decimals.
• Plots. Each dag number, the class of land (such as homestead, agricultural, pond) and the area in acres or decimals.
• Share of each plot. Whether the owner holds the whole plot or a fraction of it.
• Remarks. Notes about government interest, disputes, possession or later changes.

Shares are a frequent source of confusion. Older records may express shares in annas and gandas, with 16 annas equal to the whole. A buyer purchasing "8 annas" of a plot is buying half of it. Convert every share carefully when calculating the area being sold.

Tracing title through khatians

A thorough title check uses each khatian in Bangladesh as a link in a chain. The steps below reflect common practice for buyers and lenders.

1. Identify the land. Confirm mouza, JL number and current plot numbers from the seller's documents and the mouza map.
2. Collect survey khatians. Obtain certified copies of CS, SA, RS and BS (or city survey) khatians for the plots.
3. Link owners across surveys. Check that each recorded owner either sold by deed or died leaving heirs, and that the chain leads to the seller.
4. Check deeds. Obtain certified copies of all deeds (bia dalil) in the chain from the sub-registry offices and match them with khatian entries.
5. Verify mutation. Confirm the seller's mutation khatian and DCR, and that the area matches what is being sold.
6. Check tax and encumbrances. Confirm land development tax payments, search for mortgages and litigation, and inspect the site.
7. Resolve gaps. Where records conflict, obtain explanations, corrective deeds or court orders before proceeding.

Our guides to the land registration process and buying a house in Bangladesh explain how this check fits into a purchase.

Khatian in Bangladesh and the section 52A rule

Section 52A of the Registration Act 1908 provides that a sale deed of land cannot be registered unless the seller's name appears in the latest record of rights, or, for inherited land, in the mutation khatian, together with other supporting documents. This rule moved khatians from being evidence of title to being a precondition of sale.

In practice, sellers must complete mutation before selling, and buyers should insist on seeing the latest khatian in the seller's name. The Registration (Amendment) Act 2026 has been reported to extend similar requirements to gift (heba) deeds; check the current text before relying on that. For co-owned inherited land, the 2025 notification means the latest khatian will often show all heirs jointly, so all of them may need to join the sale or a registered partition must be done first.

Getting certified copies online

Certified copies of khatians and mouza maps can be applied for online through the government's e-Porcha service at eporcha.gov.bd, with delivery by post or collection, and the land development tax portal shows tax status for many holdings. Copies of older CS and SA records may still require applications to the district record room. Fees are set by the authorities and paid online.

Certified versus informal copies

Informal photocopies and screenshots are useful for preliminary checks, but courts, banks and sub-registry offices require certified copies. Lenders in particular will not accept uncertified records for mortgage purposes. Keep certified copies of every khatian in the chain on file.

Correcting errors in a khatian

Errors in a khatian in Bangladesh are common: misspelled names, wrong shares, missing owners, incorrect land class or a plot recorded in the wrong person's name. The route to correction depends on the stage and type of record.

Land Survey Tribunals are subordinate judicial courts dealing with errors in finally published records, with appeals to the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal. Strict time limits apply, so act as soon as an error is discovered. Our guide to types of civil cases explains declaration suits.

Khatian in Bangladesh for heirs and families

Inheritance is where most khatian problems begin. When a recorded owner dies, the land passes to heirs under Muslim, Hindu or other personal law, but the khatian still shows the deceased until mutation. Over one or two generations, the gap between the record and reality can grow large, with dozens of heirs and informal family divisions that were never registered.

Families should first establish the heirs and their shares, usually with a succession or warish certificate, then apply for joint mutation in all heirs' names. If they want separate holdings, a registered partition deed is now essential to obtain separate khatians. Our guide on succession certificates explains the first step. Keeping the khatian in Bangladesh up to date after each death avoids blocked sales and disputes later.

Non-resident owners

Bangladeshis living abroad often discover that a relative has mutated family land in their own name or that a khatian omits them. Non-resident owners should obtain certified copies regularly, check land development tax payments, and appoint a trusted representative through a properly authenticated power of attorney to deal with mutation and disputes.

Using khatians in court and with banks

In civil disputes, courts treat a survey khatian as carrying a presumption of correctness, which can be rebutted by stronger evidence such as registered deeds or proof of possession. A party relying on a khatian in Bangladesh should produce certified copies of every relevant survey, not just the one that favours it, because the other side will produce the rest.

Banks lending against land check the khatian chain, mutation and tax status before accepting a mortgage, and many now verify records online. Inconsistencies between the khatian, the deed and the site often delay loan approval. Sorting out the records before applying for finance saves weeks.

Khas land, vested property and other red flags

Some entries signal special risk. Land recorded as khas belongs to the government, and private claims to it are difficult. Land once listed as vested or enemy property raises questions under the Vested Property Return Act 2001 and related schedules. Land recorded in the name of a trust, waqf or debottar estate cannot be freely sold. Plots recorded as river, canal or public road may not be transferable at all.

Spotting these flags in a khatian in Bangladesh at the start of due diligence avoids investing time and money in a transaction that cannot close. Where flags appear, take legal advice on the history and any court decisions affecting the land.

Frequently asked questions about khatian in bangladesh

How we can help

We trace title through every khatian in Bangladesh for buyers, banks and developers, handle mutation and partition, and represent clients before the Land Survey Tribunal and civil courts. Learn more about our real estate practice.

Primary sources: the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950 and Registration Act 1908 on the Laws of Bangladesh portal; land services and the February 2025 mutation notification from the Ministry of Land; certified copies via e-Porcha.

This article is general information about Bangladeshi land law as of October 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, procedures and online services change; confirm current requirements with the land office or a qualified lawyer before acting.