Flat registration in Bangladesh happens at the sub-registry office for the area, and it converts a contract into a transfer of title. For the buyer it is a day of costs and paperwork. For the developer it is the last checkpoint where three years of record-keeping either pays off or produces an expensive scramble. The process itself is routine; almost every problem is a document that was never collected.
The sequence
- Dues cleared or expressly agreed. The buyer ledger must produce a current, defensible outstanding position.
- Deed drafted. Prepared by the lawyer with the schedule of property, the flat and its share of land, parking, and the specification annexure as agreed.
- Cost calculation. Stamp duty, registration fee, local government tax and advance income tax are computed on the applicable value, and the buyer is told the total in writing before the day.
- Payment instruments prepared. As required by the sub-registry.
- Presentation. Both parties, or their lawful attorneys, attend with identification and photographs.
- Execution and registration. Signatures, biometrics as applicable, and the receipt issued.
- Delivery of the registered deed to the buyer once available, recorded in your system.
The document set
| Document | Held by | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Draft deed | Lawyer | Schedule does not match the agreement |
| Sale agreement and signed payment plan | Developer | Plan superseded but never reissued |
| Bia deeds (chain of title) | Developer | Incomplete for one of several plot acquisitions |
| Khatian and mutation records | Developer | Mutation still pending in the company's name |
| Land tax receipt | Developer | Not current for the year |
| Buyer NID, TIN, photographs | Buyer | TIN missing, discovered on the day |
| Power of attorney, for NRB buyers | Buyer | Not yet authenticated |
| Landowner consent, for JV units | Developer | Never recorded against the unit |
| Dues certificate | Developer | Cannot be produced quickly |
Half of this list is developer-side and can be assembled months in advance. The record structure that makes that possible is covered in land acquisition records and booking to agreement document flow.
Costs, explained before the day
Buyers rarely dispute registration costs; they dispute being surprised by them. The practical answer is a written estimate issued with the agreement, itemised by head, stating that rates apply as prevailing on the date of registration. That single page removes most registration-day friction and it protects you, because the buyer cannot later claim the costs were concealed. The heads themselves and where each sits are set out in AIT, VAT and source tax by transaction.
Joint venture units need one extra step
Where a unit falls in the landowner's share, or where the developer sells under a power of attorney from the landowner, the authority to transfer has to be documented and current. A JV project where the landowner's consent was recorded in a meeting three years ago and never written down produces a registration that cannot proceed. See landowner flat allocation and handover.
After registration
Two things must be recorded, and often are not. The registered deed number and date should go against the unit, because it is the reference for every later query. And the buyer's mutation should be followed up: the sale is complete for you, but the buyer's record of rights is not updated until mutation happens, and helping them through it is both good service and a way to close your own file cleanly.
What to do next
Take the next ten units scheduled for registration and run the document checklist against each today, not in the week of the appointment. Every gap found now costs a phone call; the same gap found on the day costs a rescheduled appointment — see the document set held against each unit.