Bangladesh is a Section 44A reciprocating territory -- unlike Nepal and Bhutan
Section 44A of India's Code of Civil Procedure allows judgments from a defined list of gazette-
notified “reciprocating territories” to be executed directly in Indian courts, without a
fresh lawsuit. Legal commentary this platform cross-checked lists Bangladesh among India's notified
reciprocating territories, alongside the United Kingdom, Singapore, the UAE, Malaysia, Trinidad and
Tobago, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Trust Territories of Western Samoa, Hong Kong, Papua New
Guinea, Fiji, and Aden -- and India's courts have recognized Bangladesh as such for enforcement purposes.
This is a genuine, meaningful difference from Nepal and Bhutan, both of which this platform's Family
guides for those countries confirm are not on this list. This platform could not locate the exact Gazette
notification number for Bangladesh's designation and recommends confirming it directly if the precise
citation is needed for a specific filing.
What Section 44A actually covers -- and where a fresh suit is still needed
Section 44A specifically covers money decrees from superior courts -- it does not automatically extend
to every category of judgment. Family-law judgments such as divorce or custody decrees generally still
require separate recognition procedures under Indian law, even where the underlying country is a
reciprocating territory for money-decree purposes. Readers relying on a Bangladesh court judgment in an
Indian family-law matter should confirm with a practitioner which recognition route actually applies to
their specific type of judgment, rather than assuming Section 44A's reciprocating-territory status covers
every kind of Bangladesh court order.
Family law within Bangladesh itself follows the same religion-specific structure as India
As discussed in this platform's Inheritance guide for Bangladesh, family law questions within
Bangladesh are generally governed by religion-specific personal law -- Muslim family law for the majority
community, and separate frameworks for Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists -- broadly similar in structure
to India's own system, though Bangladesh's Hindu law in particular has not been modernized and codified
the way India's has.
Common mistakes people connected to Bangladesh make with family-law questions:
- Assuming Section 44A's reciprocating-territory status covers every type of Bangladesh court
judgment -- it specifically covers money decrees; family-law judgments generally need separate
recognition procedures.
- Confusing Bangladesh's reciprocating-territory status with Nepal or Bhutan's -- those two
countries are confirmed NOT to be reciprocating territories, a meaningful practical difference.
- Assuming Bangladesh's own family-law framework has been modernized to match India's, particularly
for Hindu succession and family matters.
