Staff Reporter :
To simplify the country’s residential plot and flat transfer system and reduce the suffering and inconvenience of leaseholders, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has recently issued an important circular.
According to this notification, several traditional obligations related to residential properties developed under the ministry and its affiliated authorities have been modified.
Under the new directive, once a plot or flat has been leased, no prior approval from RAJUK or any housing authority will be required for its transfer.
A land or flat can now be transferred simply by paying a fixed fee and registering the deed through the sub-registrar’s office.
A senior ministry official noted, “This initiative is citizen-centric and part of the modernization of the country’s housing sector.”
Experts have hailed this new circular from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works as a landmark reform in the housing sector.
They believe it will simplify processes for leaseholders, reduce administrative failures and irregularities, and-if implemented properly-contribute significantly to the improvement of infrastructure and citizen welfare in the country.
Previously, approval from the leasing authority was mandatory for executing deeds related to residential plots or flats.
Following the new circular, no such approval will be required for deeds related to inheritance, purchase, donation, or transfer (sale or distribution).
However, approval will still be required from the concerned authority for plot division, amalgamation, or change of use according to the master plan.
For the transfer of ownership based on deed value, a fee of 2% for flats and 3% for plots has been fixed. This amount must be paid directly at the respective sub-registry office.
The fees will be collected as non-tax revenue (NTR) under the economic code specified by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
After the transfer, one copy of the deed and all mutation-related documents must be submitted to the leasing authority within 90 days.
If not submitted within the stipulated time, a daily fine of BDT 50, up to a maximum of BDT 10,000, will be imposed.
The record documents will be delivered to the buyer via registered mail, email, or other electronic means.
Upon completion of the specified lease period (99 years), the transfer will become automatically effective, and no additional deed fee or payment will be required.
However, prior approval will still be necessary in cases involving plot division or changes to the master plan.
For non-residential properties, the existing approval process from the leasing authority will remain unchanged.
For plots or flats with ownership disputes, or those listed as abandoned properties, or specially allocated between January 2009 and July 2024, the existing approval procedure will continue to apply.
However, the deed fee payment rule will still be applicable in such cases.
A list of residential plots and flats eligible for transfer without prior approval under the above provisions will be published as soon as possible.
If there are any errors or inaccuracies in the published list, the authority reserves the right to correct them.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works stated that the main goal of this circular is to: Ensure ease of transfer for leaseholders, Make the residential property management system more transparent and efficient, and Eliminate corruption and irregularities.
The ministry further informed that this service simplification process has received final approval from the Cabinet and will take immediate effect.
Once implemented, the circular will help the government utilize disputed or abandoned properties more efficiently in the public interest.
It will also resolve long-standing issues of leaseholders, simplify deed processing through sub-registry offices, and ensure automatic, electronic record preservation.
