Buying a home in Bangladesh from abroad: a guide for NRBs

Send money the traceable way

Pay for property only through formal channels. Remittances sent through banks or authorised money transfer operators leave a record in your name, can qualify for the government's cash incentive on remittances, and make it easy to show the source of funds when you register the property or sell it later. Informal hundi transfers do none of this and are illegal.

Ask your bank for a remittance statement or encashment certificate for each transfer, and keep it with the matching money receipt.

Appoint someone you trust — carefully

You do not need to fly home for every signature. A power of attorney lets a trusted person act for you — to sign the booking form, collect documents or appear at the sub-registry office. Keep its scope narrow, naming the specific project and the actions allowed, rather than granting a general power over all your property.

A power of attorney signed abroad must be attested by the Bangladesh embassy or high commission and then authenticated and stamped in Bangladesh, within the time the rules allow, before it can be used. Confirm the current requirements with the mission before you sign.

Registration and documents

Land registration requires the buyer or their attorney at the sub-registry office. You will need your passport or NID, photographs and a TIN, and your attorney will need their own identity documents and the authenticated power of attorney. Mutation can then be completed by your attorney or by the developer's documentation team on your behalf.

Financing from abroad

Several Bangladeshi banks offer home loans to non-resident Bangladeshis, assessing income earned abroad and often asking for a local co-applicant or guarantor. Repayments can be made by remittance.

If you would rather not borrow, the instalment schedule of a land-share project can often be matched to regular monthly remittances.

Watching your home being built

The biggest worry we hear from overseas buyers is not paperwork but visibility. Before you book, ask how you will see progress: photographs, monthly reports, copies of receipts, and a named contact who answers across time zones. At Asseto:

• Shareholders receive money receipts, payment statements and monthly progress reports by email.
• Every report includes dated photographs of the site, so you can follow each floor from anywhere.
• Project notices and a named contact keep overseas shareholders in the loop.