RS Survey in Bangladesh (2026) – What It Is, Districts Covered & How It Affects Your Land

The Revisional Survey (RS) is a government-mandated cadastral land survey conducted in Bangladesh primarily during the 1960s and 1970s, aimed at revising and updating earlier Colonial-era CS (Cadastral Survey) records. The term "RS" stands for Revisional Settlement or Revisional Survey, and it produced a new set of land records known as the RS Khatian.

In simple terms, the RS survey corrected errors in older records, re-mapped land parcels (dags or plots), and brought property ownership records in line with the realities on the ground following the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950, which abolished the zamindari system. Every RS Khatian contains:

• The Khatian number – a unique folio identifier for each owner group
• The Dag number(s) – plot numbers associated with that Khatian
• The name(s) of recorded owner(s) and their shares
• The classification of land (agricultural, homestead, pond, etc.)
• The area in decimals or acres
• Annual land revenue (khajna) payable

The RS record serves as a primary evidentiary document in land ownership disputes, mutation applications, partition suits, and succession matters across Bangladeshi courts and revenue offices.

To understand the RS survey, one must appreciate the sequential history of land surveys conducted in the Bengal region that now constitutes Bangladesh:

1. Cadastral Survey (CS) – 1888 to 1940: The first systematic, plot-by-plot survey of British India, conducted under the Bengal Tenancy Act 1885. CS records formed the original land register and remain the oldest legally admissible survey record.
2. State Acquisition Survey (SA) – 1956 onwards: Following the abolition of the zamindari system under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950 (East Bengal Act XXVIII of 1951), the SA survey recorded raiyati (tenant) rights directly under the state. SA Khatians reflect post-zamindari ownership.
3. Revisional Survey (RS) – 1960s to 1990s: Conducted to revise and correct SA records, incorporating sub-divisions, transfers, and ground-level changes since the SA survey. The RS is the most relied-upon record in central and northern districts of Bangladesh.
4. Bangladesh Survey (BS) – 1980s to present: The most recent urban and peri-urban survey, most prominent in Dhaka, Chittagong, and other rapidly developing areas. In many districts, the BS has superseded the RS as the primary record.

This historical layering means that in a property dispute, courts and revenue offices must trace a chain of title across CS to SA to RS to BS records to establish conclusive ownership.

Landowners frequently become confused about which survey record is most authoritative. The answer depends on the district and time period. The table below provides a direct comparison:

In practice, courts in Bangladesh generally treat the most recent survey record as the strongest presumptive evidence of title, though earlier CS records can override later ones where fraud or error in subsequent surveys is demonstrated.

The RS survey carries substantial legal weight under Bangladeshi law. Key points illustrating its importance include:

• Prima facie evidence of title: Under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950, an RS Khatian constitutes prima facie evidence of the rights it records. Courts presume the recorded person to be the lawful owner unless proven otherwise.
• Basis for mutation (namjari): When property is transferred by sale, inheritance, or gift, the new owner must apply for mutation at the local AC Land office. The mutation is recorded against the existing RS or BS Khatian.
• Required for deed registration: Sub-registrar offices require applicants to cite the relevant Khatian number (RS or BS) during deed registration, linking the deed to the survey record.
• Land development tax: The RS Khatian determines the annual land development tax (khajna) assessed on a landholding.
• Partition suits: In partition suits (bonton mamla) before civil courts, the RS record is exhibited to establish the undivided shares of co-owners.

The legal standing of the RS Khatian has been affirmed in numerous decisions of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, where the Appellate Division has held that a person recorded in the Khatian is presumed to hold valid title unless a competitor establishes a superior chain of title.

An RS Khatian is the official folio document summarising who owns what land and under what classification. Understanding its contents helps landowners verify and protect their rights.

Key components of an RS Khatian include:

• Mouza Name and JL Number: Identifies the revenue village (mouza) and its jurisdiction list (JL) number within the upazila.
• Khatian Number: The unique identifier for the group of owners sharing the folio.
• Owner's Name and Father's Name: Recorded owners as surveyed at the time of the RS.
• Dag Numbers and Area: Each plot (dag) linked to the Khatian with its area in acres-decimals.
• Class of Land: Whether the land is agricultural (aabadi), homestead (bari), water body (pukur), fallow, etc.
• Share: Where multiple owners share a Khatian, their fractional shares are recorded (e.g., 1/2, 1/3).
• Annual Rent (Khajna): The amount of land development tax payable annually.

A certified copy of the RS Khatian, obtained from the AC Land office or downloaded from eporcha.gov.bd, is admissible as evidence before Bangladeshi courts under the Evidence Act 1872 and the Registration Act 1908.

The RS survey has not been uniformly conducted across all 64 districts of Bangladesh. In many districts – particularly urban Dhaka – the BS has been conducted instead of or alongside the RS. The following table provides an overview of survey coverage as of 2026:

Note: Survey completion status can vary at the upazila and mouza level. Always verify the applicable record at your local AC Land office or via eporcha.gov.bd before initiating any legal proceeding.

The State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950 (East Bengal Act XXVIII of 1951, the SA&T Act) is the foundational legislation governing land tenure and surveys in Bangladesh. The RS survey was conducted as a revisional settlement exercise under this Act. Key provisions relevant to the RS survey include:

• Section 143: Empowers the government to conduct settlement operations, including cadastral surveys and preparation of record-of-rights (Khatians).
• Section 144: Provides for the preparation of a draft record-of-rights during settlement operations, to which objections can be filed.
• Section 145: Governs the publication of the final record-of-rights (i.e., the Khatian) and confers on it the status of prima facie evidence.
• Section 149: Allows for revision of the record-of-rights upon application to the Settlement Officer where errors are found.
• Section 90A: Restricts the maximum ceiling on agricultural land ownership; the RS survey was used partly to identify and vest surplus lands in the government.
• Section 96: Protects raiyats (recorded owners) against dispossession without due process – the RS Khatian is primary proof of raiyati status.

Landowners whose holdings exceeded the ceiling had surplus land vested in the state — sometimes reflected in the RS Khatian by a government-vested dag entry. Correcting such entries requires legal proceedings under the appropriate provisions of the SA&T Act.

The RS survey record has direct, practical consequences in day-to-day land transactions and disputes in Bangladesh.

1. Property Purchase and Sale

When buying land, a prudent purchaser must verify the vendor's name in the RS or BS Khatian, cross-reference with the deed chain (baina and kabala deeds), and confirm there is no encumbrance or government vesting. Failure to verify the RS Khatian has led to countless fraudulent sales where sellers lacked recorded title.

2. Mutation (Namjari) Applications

After acquiring land by purchase, inheritance, or gift, the new owner must apply for mutation (namjari) at the AC Land office. Required documents typically include:

• Certified copy of the existing RS/BS Khatian
• Registered deed of transfer (kabala deed)
• Succession certificate or waris certificate (for inheritance cases)
• Up-to-date land development tax (khajna) payment receipt
• NID copies of applicant and seller/transferor

3. Land Disputes and Litigation

In title suits (dakhol-khilafat mamla) and partition suits before civil courts, the RS Khatian is the centrepiece exhibit. A plaintiff who cannot produce or link to the RS Khatian faces a significantly weaker claim. Conversely, a defendant whose name appears in the RS Khatian benefits from the statutory presumption of title under the SA&T Act.

4. Government Acquisition

When the government acquires land under the Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act 2017, the RS/BS Khatian determines who is entitled to receive compensation and in what proportion.

The Government of Bangladesh has digitised land records – including RS Khatians – through the e-Porcha platform at eporcha.gov.bd, managed under the Ministry of Land (land.gov.bd). This system allows landowners to:

• Search for RS, CS, SA, and BS Khatians by district, upazila, mouza, Khatian number, or owner name
• Download a certified copy (porcha) of the Khatian for a nominal fee (currently BDT 100–150 per copy)
• Search by Dag number to find all Khatians associated with a particular plot
• Track mutation application status via the e-namjari system

Step-by-step process to check your RS Khatian on eporcha.gov.bd:

1. Visit eporcha.gov.bd
2. Select "খতিয়ান" (Khatian) from the menu
3. Choose the Survey Type as RS
4. Select your Division, District, Upazila, and Mouza
5. Enter the Khatian number or owner name and click Search
6. View the record online or pay BDT 100 via mobile banking (bKash/Nagad/Rocket) to download a certified copy

Not all districts and mouzas are fully digitised yet. If your RS Khatian is not available online, you must obtain a certified copy in person from the AC Land office or the district Collectorate land record room. The government's ongoing Digital Land Management System (DLMS) project aims to complete full digitisation across all districts by 2027.

Despite its importance, the RS survey is not without flaws. Several common legal problems arise from RS records in Bangladesh:

• Incorrect names or shares: Survey officers sometimes recorded names incorrectly or missed co-owners. These errors require a formal correction petition before the Settlement Officer.
• Phantom plots classified as khas land: Some privately owned plots were erroneously recorded as government khas land during the RS. Reclaiming such land requires filing a suit in civil court or an application to the district administration.
• Discrepancy between RS and registered deed: A common problem where the area or owner recorded in the RS does not match the registered deed. This often arises due to unrecorded mutations over several generations.
• Vested property issues: Some Hindu-owned properties were erroneously recorded as vested (enemy) property in the RS Khatian. The Vested Property Return Act 2001 provides a mechanism for reclaiming such lands.
• Forged RS Khatians: Document fraud is a serious concern. Fraudsters sometimes produce forged certified copies of RS Khatians. Always verify by cross-referencing with the AC Land office records.
• RS not updated post-partition: Where land was physically divided but the RS Khatian was never updated through mutation, all co-owners remain recorded jointly, creating title complications when one owner sells.

Navigating RS survey records, Khatian disputes, and mutation proceedings in Bangladesh can be extraordinarily complex – especially when multiple survey records, inheritance chains, and registered deeds must be reconciled. A qualified land lawyer in Bangladesh provides invaluable assistance in:

• Conducting a full title search across CS, SA, RS, and BS records to verify the authenticity of a seller's claim
• Filing and following up on mutation (namjari) applications at the AC Land office
• Drafting and filing objections to erroneous RS records before the Settlement Officer
• Representing clients in title suits, partition suits, and land recovery cases before civil courts
• Advising on vested property reclaims under the Vested Property Return Act 2001
• Assisting with land acquisition compensation claims under the Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act 2017

Advocate Md. Shah Alam, operating from his Uttara chamber in Dhaka, has extensive experience in land law matters including RS Khatian disputes, mutation proceedings, partition suits, and title verification across multiple districts of Bangladesh. With a deep understanding of the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950 and the digitised land record systems at eporcha.gov.bd, Advocate Shah Alam provides practical, result-oriented legal counsel to landowners, purchasers, and heirs.

If you are facing a land dispute, need to verify RS records before a property purchase, or require assistance with mutation, contact our office today for a confidential consultation.

RS stands for Revisional Survey (or Revisional Settlement). It is a government land survey conducted primarily in the 1960s–1990s to revise and update earlier CS and SA survey records. The RS produced RS Khatians — official land ownership folios — that are currently the primary land record in most rural and semi-urban districts of Bangladesh.

An RS Khatian constitutes prima facie (presumptive) evidence of title under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950. However, it is not conclusive proof by itself. Courts also examine the registered deed chain and any subsequent mutations. For complete title assurance, the RS Khatian should be cross-referenced with CS/SA records and all registered deeds in the title chain.

Both documents are important and complement each other. The registered deed proves the transaction (transfer of ownership), while the RS Khatian records the survey-based ownership. Bangladeshi courts generally require both. Where there is a conflict, the court examines the entire chain of title. A Khatian without a supporting deed chain, or a deed without RS Khatian linkage, can both lead to title challenges.

You can check your RS Khatian online at eporcha.gov.bd (the official e-Porcha portal of the Ministry of Land). Select the RS survey type, choose your district, upazila, and mouza, then search by Khatian number or owner name. Certified copies can be downloaded by paying BDT 100 via mobile banking (bKash, Nagad, or Rocket).

The RS (Revisional Survey) was conducted from the 1960s to 1990s to revise earlier records and covers most rural districts. The BS (Bangladesh Survey) is more recent (1980s–present) and is primarily conducted in rapidly urbanising areas such as Dhaka, Chittagong, and Narayanganj. Where a BS Khatian exists, it generally supersedes the RS as the most current record of title.

If your land is incorrectly recorded in the RS Khatian — wrong owner name, incorrect area, or wrong classification — you can file a correction application before the Settlement Officer or the AC Land office. If the error is due to a fraudulent entry, a civil suit for declaration and injunction before the appropriate court may be necessary. It is strongly advisable to consult a land lawyer before taking action.