Building Plan Approval: Documents to Prepare for RAJUK, GAUK, or a Paurashava

Which authority approves your building?

Building plans are approved by the authority that controls development where the land is. In the Dhaka metropolitan area, that is RAJUK (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha). In its area of Gazipur, it is GAUK (Gazipur Unnayan Kartripakkha). In many district towns, it is the local Paurashava. Near the edges of these areas it is not always obvious which one applies, so confirm it before any drawings are prepared.

Land documents

The authority needs to see that the applicant owns the land or has the right to build on it. The usual set is:

• The registered deed (dolil) for the land.
• The mutation record (namjari) and khatian showing the current owner.
• Recent land development tax receipts (dakhila).
• Where relevant, inheritance documents, a power of attorney, or the agreement with a developer.

Names, plot numbers, and areas should match across these papers and the survey. Small inconsistencies, such as a different spelling of a name or an area that does not add up, are a common cause of queries.

Land use clearance

Some authorities, including RAJUK, require a land use clearance before the building plan itself is considered. It confirms that the proposed use, such as residential, commercial, or industrial, is allowed on that land under the area's plan.

Survey, soil report, and drawings

• A site plan based on a land survey, showing the plot boundary, its area, the access road and its width, and the neighbouring plots.
• A soil investigation report, where the authority or the size of the building requires one.
• Architectural drawings: site plan, floor plans, elevations, and sections, in the format and scale the authority asks for.
• Structural drawings and, where required, design calculations.
• Signatures of the qualified professionals responsible for the design, as the authority requires.

The drawings must follow the authority's building rules: setbacks from each boundary, the share of the plot the building covers, the total floor area allowed, and the maximum height. Under RAJUK's rules, several of these limits depend on the plot size and the width of the road in front of it.

Clearances from other agencies

Larger and taller buildings, and some industrial and commercial uses, may need clearances from other agencies as well, for example the fire service or the Department of Environment. Whether these apply depends on the building's height, size, and use, so identify them early.

Why applications come back

• The design breaks a setback, coverage, floor area, or height rule.
• The land papers are incomplete, or do not match each other or the survey.
• The mutation is not in the applicant's name.
• Signatures are missing, or the architectural and structural drawings do not match.
• The application went to the wrong authority, or without a required clearance.

Each of these can be avoided by checking the plot, the papers, and the rules before the drawings are finalised.

What to expect

Fees, processing times, and decisions are set by the authority, and they vary. No consultant can honestly promise a date or an outcome. What a consultant can do is submit a complete, rule-compliant application, respond promptly to queries and site inspections, and keep you informed. That is how our plan approval service works.

This guide describes what applications usually need. Requirements change and differ between authorities and areas, so always confirm the current checklist with the authority, or ask us to check it for your plot.