A General Diary entry records information received and activities occurring at a police station. An FIR is the formal recording under section 154 of information relating to a cognizable offence.
A GD can be important evidence that an event was reported at a particular time, but it is not automatically a criminal case. When disclosed facts show a cognizable offence, the matter should be addressed under the section 154 process rather than being treated only as a routine GD entry.
What is a General Diary?
A General Diary, commonly called a GD, is the continuing official police-station record used to document complaints, incidents, police activities and specified information.
The current Code expressly refers to the General Diary in the new arrest provisions. Section 46B requires every arrest within a police station’s jurisdiction to be entered promptly in that station’s General Diary. If the arrest is made by an officer from another police station, the arrest must also be entered in the General Diary of that officer’s station. Relatives, friends or neighbours may demand arrest information from the responsible officer maintaining the official register or GD.
The GD therefore has an important official-record function. It is not limited to reports of lost documents.
What is an FIR?
An FIR is information relating to a cognizable offence recorded under section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Oral information must be written down, read over and signed by the informant, and its substance must be entered in the prescribed record.
An FIR ordinarily triggers the police power to investigate the cognizable case under sections 156 and 157. A GD does not automatically have that legal effect merely because it describes wrongdoing.
The central distinction
The distinction depends principally on the legal character of the reported facts.
A missing certificate, lost passport, threatening situation, unexplained absence, suspicious activity or preventive concern may initially be recorded through a GD, depending on the facts.
If the information discloses a completed cognizable offence, such as a serious assault, robbery or another offence classified as cognizable, section 154 becomes directly relevant. Police should not use the label “GD” to avoid the statutory process applicable to a cognizable offence.
The title used by the complainant does not determine the legal classification. A document headed “GD application” may disclose a cognizable offence, while a document headed “FIR” may describe only a non-cognizable matter or a civil dispute.
The official Online GD system
Bangladesh Police’s official Online GD portal allows users to submit complaints concerning lost and found property and other matters. The relevant police station reviews the nature of the complaint.
The portal states that where the matter is suitable for a GD, the applicant receives a digital GD copy containing the GD number and investigating officer’s details. Where the matter is suitable for a criminal case concerning a cognizable offence, the applicant is instructed to attend the police station with the printed complaint or complaint code.
The portal therefore confirms that an online complaint, a GD and a criminal case are separate stages or classifications.
Why a GD can still be important
A GD can establish that a person reported an event, threat or loss at a particular time. It may help explain later conduct or support an application for protection, replacement of a document or investigation.
However, a GD entry is not conclusive proof that every factual allegation in it is true. The weight of the entry depends on who made the report, when it was made, whether it was based on personal knowledge and how it fits with other evidence.
A person should retain the GD number and an official or digitally verifiable copy. A screenshot of a draft submission without confirmation is not the same as a completed GD.
When should a person seek an FIR instead?
A person should clearly request action under section 154 when the facts disclose a cognizable offence. The complaint should describe the acts rather than merely demand a particular section or punishment.
If police record only a GD despite allegations of a cognizable offence, the complainant should ask in writing whether a criminal case has been registered and, if not, why the information has not been treated under section 154.
The complainant may then consider the Magistrate procedures discussed in the related Ain.bd article What Can You Do If Police Refuse to Record an FIR?
Non-cognizable complaints
Section 155 provides a different process for non-cognizable offences. The officer records the substance of the information in the prescribed book and refers the informant to the Magistrate. Police may not investigate a non-cognizable case without an order from a Magistrate empowered to try or send the case for trial.
A non-cognizable complaint should not be confused with a matter that has no criminal content at all. It may still be a criminal allegation, but police powers are more limited until a Magistrate authorises investigation.
Reporting from outside Bangladesh
A non-resident Bangladeshi may use the Online GD system if able to satisfy its identity and technical requirements. The current portal requires a National Identity Card number, active mobile number and live photograph for registration.
Where the report concerns a cognizable criminal case, the portal may require attendance at the police station. A person abroad should then contact the relevant police station and a Bangladeshi advocate to determine how the formal complaint and later statement can be completed.
A representative may deliver documents or follow up, but should not falsely claim to have personally witnessed events known only to the non-resident complainant.
Common mistakes
One mistake is believing that a GD automatically creates a criminal prosecution. Another is believing that a GD has no legal value at all.
People also sometimes file a brief lost-document GD when the true problem involves theft, fraud or coercion. The complaint should accurately state what happened rather than select the easiest online category.
Another mistake is repeatedly making new GD entries without following up on the original complaint or requesting the legally appropriate action.
Law updated as of 13 July 2026.
Primary sources: Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, sections 46B, 154, 155, 156 and 157; Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2026; Bangladesh Police Online GD portal.
Legal-information disclaimer: This article provides general information, not legal advice. Whether a complaint requires a GD, FIR or application to a Magistrate depends on the facts and legal classification of the alleged offence. Consult a licensed advocate where the distinction is disputed.