Power of Attorney for Bangladesh Property: How to Make One from the UK, USA, UAE or Canada

A Power of Attorney is a written authority by which you (the principal) authorise another person (the attorney or agent) to act for you in legal and financial matters. In property matters, an attorney can:

• Pay land development tax and obtain Dakhila.
• Apply for mutation (Namjari).
• Appear before Sub-Registrar and, if authorised, sign a sale deed.
• File or defend suits and engage a lawyer on your behalf.

The attorney acts as you, so everything he does within the powers binds you.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Fees, forms and procedures change; confirm current requirements with the relevant office or a qualified advocate before acting.

General PoA: broad authority over many matters. Convenient, but dangerous in unreliable hands.

Special PoA: limited to a defined act (for example: "to sell Plot 15, Dag No. 456, Mouza X, for not less than Tk Y"). It is safer and is what most advocates recommend.

You can give several special PoAs for different tasks instead of one all-powerful document.

1. Ask your Bangladeshi advocate to draft the PoA in line with Bangladesh law (language, stamp, property description).
2. Print on plain paper (or stamp paper if your advocate advises) and take it, with your passport/ID, to a Notary Public (or Solicitor/Commissioner for Oaths) in your country.
3. Sign in front of the notary, who verifies your identity and attests the signature.
4. Take the notarised PoA to the Bangladesh Embassy or High Commission for consular attestation (some countries also require prior legalisation by the foreign ministry).
5. Courier the original attested PoA to your attorney in Bangladesh.
6. Your advocate then presents it before the Sub-Registrar or the court as needed, and registers it if required.

Requirements and fees differ for each mission, so check the website or call the consular section before you go.

Every country has a slightly different process, but the pattern is consistent:

• UK: notary public or solicitor, and sometimes legalisation by the FCDO, then Bangladesh High Commission attestation.
• USA: notary public (state), and sometimes county/state authentication, then Embassy/Consulate attestation.
• UAE: approved notary / Ministry process, then Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi or Consulate in Dubai.
• Canada: Canadian notary public, then the High Commission in Ottawa (or consulate) attestation.

Always bring original passport, a recent photo and a copy of the Bangladeshi NID or passport. Allow a few days to weeks for the process.

• Full identification of principal and attorney: names, parents' names, NID/passport numbers, addresses and photographs.
• Exact property description: district, upazila, mouza, dag, khatian and area.
• A list of specific powers granted.
• Limits: minimum price, validity period and whether the attorney may sub-delegate.
• Reporting duty: ask the attorney to send copies of documents and receipts within a fixed time.
• Termination clause.

Never sign a blank or partly filled document, and never let the attorney keep the only copy.

Under Section 33 of the Registration Act 1908, a PoA executed outside Bangladesh and properly authenticated by a notary public or consular officer is recognised for registration of documents. In practice, many Sub-Registrar offices expect the PoA to be registered locally and consider the facts of each case carefully, especially for sales.

Your advocate will advise whether to register the PoA and how long it will be valid. Keep a certified copy of everything the attorney files.

• Attorney sells without your knowledge: use a special PoA with price floor and an express requirement to inform you.
• Forged PoA: keep the attested original and verify that the embassy record matches.
• Death or dispute of the attorney: a PoA ends on the death of the principal or the attorney; appoint a backup.
• "Irrevocable" PoA: these are sometimes used to disguise a sale. Do not sign one without legal advice.
• Poor accounting: insist on receipts and bank-only payment.

You can revoke a PoA at any time unless it is genuinely coupled with the attorney's own interest. The usual steps are:

1. Sign a revocation deed before a notary abroad, attested like the original.
2. Register the revocation in Bangladesh and inform the Sub-Registrar office where the PoA was used.
3. Give written notice to the attorney, banks, tenants and anyone who dealt with him, and consider a newspaper notice.
4. Consult a lawyer immediately if the attorney has already misused it. Criminal and civil remedies may be available.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Fees, forms and procedures change; confirm current requirements with the relevant office or a qualified advocate before acting.

Yes, if it is properly notarised and authenticated by the Bangladesh Embassy/High Commission and complies with Bangladesh law and the Registration Act.

Only if the PoA expressly authorises sale and the deed is registered properly. To be safe, give a special PoA with precise conditions.

Until its stated expiry, revocation, completion of the task, or the death of the principal or attorney. Add a clear validity period.

Yes, through a notarised and attested revocation deed that is registered in Bangladesh and communicated to relevant parties.

It is strongly advisable. A wrongly drafted PoA can be rejected by the Sub-Registrar or abused by the attorney.