From rural homesteads to urban real estate, property-related conflicts occupy nearly 80% of all civil cases, according to a 2024 report by the Law Commission. These disputes largely arise from outdated record-keeping, overlapping ownership claims, and the manual land registration process that has changed little since the colonial era.
However, in recent years, Bangladesh has embarked on a journey to modernize and digitize its land management and registration systems in a bid to ensure greater transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
The legal foundation of the land registration system is primarily based on the Registration Act, 1908, supported by the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950, the Land Survey Act, 2010, and the Transfer of Property Act, 1882. These laws collectively define ownership rights, tenancy relations, and procedural obligations related to land.
Under the Registration Act, all transactions involving immovable property such as sale, gift, lease, or mortgage must be registered to have legal validity. Yet, because the system was designed in a paper-based context, records have long been maintained manually at sub-registrar offices, leaving the system vulnerable to forgery, corruption, and inefficiency.
For decades, citizens have faced serious difficulties in the traditional land registration process. Obtaining certified copies of deeds or verifying land ownership often requires multiple visits to government offices and, in many cases, payment of unofficial fees to intermediaries.
A 2023 Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) study revealed that around 36% of landowners had to pay “speed money” to expedite services, while nearly 60% of rural land records contained discrepancies between the record of rights and actual possession. Such inconsistencies have resulted in endless disputes, legal expenses, and distrust in land administration.
Recognizing these challenges, the government attempted to launch a comprehensive digital land management and registration initiative under a2i program. The Ministry of Land has already digitized millions of land records and introduced projects such as the Digital Record Room, e-Mutation, and the Online Registration System. In collaboration with the Ministry of Law, pilot projects in Dhaka, Gazipur, and Jashore have successfully tested fully online land registration, allowing citizens to apply, pay fees, and receive registered documents electronically without visiting the sub-registrar office.
The system is integrated with the Bangladesh National Digital Architecture (BNDA), ensuring interconnectivity with the NID database, Bangladesh Bank’s e-payment gateway, and land zoning information systems. A 2024 World Bank report commended Bangladesh for improving its land administration digitalization index by 27% compared to 2020, a clear indicator of progress.
Alongside digital initiatives, several legal reforms have been introduced to modernize the framework governing property registration. The government is reviewing the century-old Registration Act, 1908 to align it with the realities of online transactions, digital signatures, and electronic verification.
The proposed Land Registration (Amendment) Bill 2025 aims to legally recognize digital deeds and streamline remote authentication processes. The Land Reform Board has also strengthened transparency by establishing the National Land Information Centre (NLIC), an integrated online portal that enables citizens to search for land records, check mutation status, and verify ownership using their National ID numbers.
This initiative marks a major step toward reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensuring that land services are more accessible to the public.
Nevertheless, several challenges remain in the path toward complete digitalization. Limited internet connectivity in rural areas, low digital literacy among landowners, and concerns about data security and cyber manipulation continue to hinder the system’s smooth implementation. Some citizens remain skeptical about shifting from paper records to digital databases, fearing the potential loss or hacking of sensitive information.
Experts, however, argue that with strong cybersecurity protocols, regular audits, and continuous capacity building, these concerns can be effectively addressed. Dr Md Shamsul Alam, a land administration expert, observed that “Digitalization is not just about technology, it’s about building trust between citizens and the state.”
Bangladesh’s land registration system now stands at a crucial turning point. The government’s ongoing efforts to create a transparent, technology-driven registration mechanism have the potential to drastically reduce corruption, minimize disputes, and make property transactions faster and more reliable.
To make this transformation sustainable, legal modernization, institutional strengthening, and public awareness must advance in tandem. If implemented effectively, the digital land registration system could serve as a model of good governance and equitable access to land rights, ensuring that every citizen can secure and protect their most fundamental assets of their land.
Zinat Sultana Zerin is a freelance contributor and a student of law at BUP.
