Land lawyer in Dhaka for ownership, possession and title disputes

Land disputes in Bangladesh rarely start with one bad act. They grow out of old records, unshared inheritance and deeds nobody checked. At Ain Bisharod, we read the record first, then advise whether your matter can be fixed through the land office, settled by negotiation, or needs to go to court. We act in land disputes in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi.

What counts as a land dispute

A land dispute is any disagreement over who owns land, who is entitled to possess it, where its boundary lies, or whether a document affecting it is valid. In practice it can be a family matter, a neighbour matter, a buyer and seller matter, or a matter with a government office.

The same facts can lead to very different remedies. A wrong name in the record of rights may be corrected at the land office. A forged deed may need a civil suit and a criminal complaint. A boundary disagreement may end with a joint survey and a signed memorandum. The first job is to identify which kind of problem it is, because choosing the wrong forum can cost years.

Common types of land disputes in Bangladesh

• Ownership and title disputes. Two or more people claim the same land under different deeds, inheritance or records.
• Possession disputes. The owner is kept out of the land, or someone has entered and is building, cultivating or renting it out.
• Boundary disputes. Neighbours disagree on where one plot ends and the next begins, often because the mouza map and the ground do not match.
• Inheritance disputes. Heirs disagree on shares, one heir sells more than his share, or land is held for years without partition. Daughters and widows are often left out of the record. See our article on inheritance shares under Muslim law.
• Khatian and deed discrepancies. The name, share or plot number in the CS, SA, RS or BS record does not match the deeds.
• Mutation disputes. Mutation (namjari) was made in favour of the wrong person, or on a deed that is disputed.
• Fraudulent or disputed deeds. A deed was forged, executed by impersonation, or obtained by pressure. Our article on forged deeds explains the warning signs.
• Co-sharer disputes. One co-sharer sells, builds or leases without the others, or a co-sharer claims a right to buy before an outsider (pre-emption).
• Land grabbing and unauthorised occupation. Land is occupied by force or on the strength of false papers.
• Disputes over leasehold plots where the authority’s records and the private transfers do not agree.

Administrative fix or court case

Not every land problem needs a suit. Filing one too early can cost years. Waiting too long can lose the remedy altogether. This is the first question we answer for every client.

Problems that can often be fixed through the land office or by documents

• Errors in the mutation khatian, corrected through the AC Land office
• Land development tax (khajna) holding in the wrong name
• Missing heirs in the record, where all heirs agree
• Boundary uncertainty that a joint survey can settle
• A family disagreement that can be closed by a registered partition deed or settlement deed

Problems that usually need a civil suit or other court proceedings

• A competing deed, forged deed or deed obtained by fraud, where cancellation or a declaration of title is needed
• Dispossession, where the owner has been forced out
• A partition that the co-sharers will not agree to
• An error in the finally published record of rights, which may need the Land Survey Tribunal
• A pre-emption claim, which has strict time limits
• An urgent threat to the land, where an injunction is needed to stop construction, sale or transfer

Criminal remedies for land grabbing

Where land has been grabbed by force or with false documents, the Land Crimes Prevention and Remedy Act, 2023 provides criminal remedies alongside the civil route. Proceedings under section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure may also be used where a dispute over possession threatens a breach of the peace. Whether to use these, and in what order with a civil suit, depends on the facts. A criminal case alone does not settle title.

Some land remedies have short time limits. A suit to recover possession on the basis of recent dispossession must be filed within six months, and a pre-emption claim has its own strict limit. Take advice early, even if you hope to settle.

Which office or court deals with what

Land matters in Bangladesh are spread across several offices. Knowing which one has power over your problem saves time.

Problem	Usual forum	What it can do
Wrong mutation or khajna holding	AC Land office (Upazila or Circle)	Correct or cancel mutation after hearing; appeal lies to higher revenue officers
Certified copies of deeds and volumes	Sub-registry office and District Registry	Issue certified copies; show later transfers and mortgages
Old khatians and maps	DC office record room	Issue certified copies of CS, SA, RS records and mouza maps
Error in final survey record	Land Survey Tribunal	Correct the record of rights
Title, cancellation, partition, injunction, possession	Civil courts, by value of the suit	Declare title, cancel deeds, divide land, stop construction or sale
Land grabbing by force or false papers	Police and criminal courts	Prosecute land crimes; may restore possession under special law
Illegal action by a public authority	High Court Division (writ)	Review the legality of the authority’s decision

How Ain Bisharod handles a land dispute

1. Document review. We read your deeds, khatians, mutation papers, tax receipts and any notice or case papers. We identify what your claim rests on and where it is weak.
2. Record collection. We collect certified copies from the sub-registry office, AC Land office, record room and courts, so the advice rests on official records, not photocopies.
3. Legal opinion and strategy. We advise whether the matter is administrative, negotiable or contentious, and what each route will involve in time, cost and risk.
4. Legal notice. Where appropriate, we send a legal notice to put the other side on record and open a route to settlement.
5. Negotiation and settlement. If settlement is possible, we negotiate the terms and put them into a registered document, so the dispute does not come back.
6. Litigation. If court is necessary, we prepare and file the suit, apply for interim relief where needed, and conduct the case through hearing and, if required, appeal and revision.

Due diligence before you start a case

Before filing, we test your own title as hard as the other side will. A suit filed on a weak deed chain, or without all necessary parties, can fail for reasons unrelated to the merits. We check:

• Whether your title is supported by the record of rights and earlier deeds, back to the CS or SA record
• Whether all co-sharers and heirs who need to be parties are identified
• Whether any earlier suit, decree or case already affects the land
• Which court has jurisdiction, what court fee applies and which time limits run
• What evidence of possession you hold, such as tax receipts, utility bills and witnesses
• Whether the land is khas, vested, acquired or under any government claim

Common mistakes that weaken a land case

• Signing an unregistered settlement. A family understanding on stamp paper rarely binds later buyers or heirs. Settlements over land should be registered.
• Replying to a notice without advice. A careless reply can admit facts that later damage your case.
• Relying on mutation as proof of title. Mutation is a revenue record. It supports title but does not create it.
• Leaving out a necessary party. A partition or title suit without all co-sharers can be dismissed or delayed for years.
• Missing a time limit. Possession and pre-emption remedies are lost quickly if no action is taken.
• Building or selling during a dispute. This often leads to injunctions and new claims from buyers.

Guidance for specific clients

Heirs and co-sharers

Agree the shares first and record them in a registered partition deed. If one heir refuses, a partition suit is the route. Make sure daughters, widows and heirs living abroad are included, because a partition that leaves out one heir can be challenged. See also our article on partition deeds.

Buyers who found a competing claim after purchase

Do not stop paying tax or give up possession. Collect the seller’s documents and the other side’s papers, and take advice on whether to defend, sue the seller, or both. Our property verification before purchase service exists to prevent this situation.

Owners living abroad

Most occupation cases we see involve owners who were away for years. We can act through a properly limited power of attorney and report in writing. See our page on land disputes for owners living abroad.

Developers and landowners

Project land under challenge needs quick action, because buyers and construction are affected. We advise on injunctions, settlement with claimants and protecting the project timeline.

Where we act

We act in disputes over land in Dhaka city and Dhaka district, including Keraniganj, Savar and Purbachal, and in Narayanganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi. Where a case must be conducted in another district, we work with local associates and stay responsible for the strategy.

About the firm

Frequently asked questions

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