37. The parties to a contract must either perform, or offer to perform, their respective promises, unless such performance is dispensed with or excused under the provisions of this Act, or of any other law.  
Promises bind the representatives of the promisors in case of the death of such promisors before performance, unless a contrary intention appears from the contract.  
Illustrations  
(a) A promises to deliver goods to B on a certain day on payment of Taka 1,000. A dies before that day. A's representatives are bound to deliver the goods to B, and B is bound to pay the Taka 1,000 to A's representatives.  
(b) A promises to paint a picture for B by a certain day, at a certain price. A dies before the day. The contract cannot be enforced either by A's representatives or by B.  
Effect of refusal to accept offer of performance  
38. Where a promisor has made an offer of performance to the promisee, and the offer has not been accepted, the promisor is not responsible for nonperformance, nor does he thereby lose his rights under the contract.  
Every such offer must fulfil the following conditions:–  
(1) it must be unconditional:  
(2) it must be made at a proper time and place, and under such circumstances that the person to whom it is made may have a reasonable opportunity of ascertaining that the person by whom it is made is able and willing there and then to do the whole of what he is bound by his promise to do:  
(3) if the offer is an offer to deliver anything to the promisee, the promisee must have a reasonable opportunity of seeing that the thing offered is the thing which the promisor is bound by his promise to deliver.  
An offer to one of several joint promisees has the same legal consequences as an offer to all of them.  
Illustration  
A contracts to deliver to B at his warehouse, on the 1st March, 1873, 100 bales of cotton of a particular quality. In order to make an offer of a performance with the effect stated in this section, A must bring the cotton to B's warehouse, on the appointed day, under such circumstances that B may have a reasonable opportunity of satisfying himself that the thing offered is cotton of the quality contracted for, and that there are 100 bales.  
Effect of refusal of party to perform promise wholly  
39. When a party to a contract has refused to perform, or disabled himself from performing his promise in its entirety, the promisee may put an end to the contract, unless he has signified, by words or conduct, his acquiescence in its continuance.    
 
Illustrations  
(a) A, a singer, enters into a contract with B, the manager of a theatre, to sing at his theater two nights in every week during the next two months, and B engages to pay her 100 Taka for each nights performance. On the sixth night A wilfully absents herself from the theatre. B is at liberty to put an end to the contract.  
(b) A, a singer, enters into a contract with B, the manager of a theatre, to sing at his theatre two nights in every week during the next two months, and B engages to pay her at the rate of 100 Taka for each night. On the sixth night A wilfully absents herself. With the assent of B, A sings on the seventh night. B has signified his acquiescence in the continuance of the contract, and cannot now put an end to it, but is entitled to compensation for the damage sustained by him through A's failure to sing on the sixth night.  
By whom Contracts must be performed  
Person by whom promise is to be performed  
40. If it appears from the nature of the case that it was the intention of the parties to any contract that any promise contained in it should be performed by the promisor himself, such promise must be performed by the promisor. In other cases, the promisor or his representatives may employ a competent person to perform it.   
Illustrations  
(a) A promises to pay B a sum of money. A may perform this promise, either by personally paying the money to B or by causing it to be paid to B by another; and, if A dies before the time appointed for payment, his representatives must perform the promise, or employ some proper person to do so.  
(b) A promises to paint a picture for B. A must perform this promise personally.  
Effect of accepting performance from third person  
41. When a promisee accepts performance of the promise from a third person, he cannot afterwards enforce it against the promisor.  
Devolution of joint liabilities  
42. When two or more persons have made a joint promise, then, unless a contrary intention appears by the contract, all such persons during their joint lives, and after the death of any of them his representative jointly with the survivor or survivors, and after the death of the last survivor, the representatives of all jointly, must fulfil the promise. 
 Any one of joint promisors may be compelled to perform Each promisor may compel contribution Sharing of loss by default in contribution  
43. When two or more persons make a joint promise, the promisee may, in the absence of express agreement to the contrary, compel any one or more of such joint promisors to perform the whole of the promise.  
Each of two or more joint promisors may compel every other joint promisor to contribute equally with himself to the performance of the promise, unless a contrary intention appears from the contract.  
If any one of two or more joint promisors makes default in such contribution, the remaining joint promisors must bear the loss arising from such default in equal shares.  
Explanation – Nothing in this section shall prevent a surety from recovering from his principal, payments made by the surety on behalf of the principal, or entitle the principal to recover anything from the surety on account of payments made by the principal.  
Illustrations  
(a) A, B and C jointly promise to pay D 3,000 Taka. D may compel either A or B or C to pay him 3,000 Taka.  
(b) A, B and C jointly promise to pay D the sum of 3,000 Taka. C is compelled to pay the whole. A is insolvent, but his assets are sufficient to pay one-half of his debts. C is entitled to receive 500 Taka from A's estate, and 1,250 Taka from B.  
(c) A, B and C are under a joint promise to pay D 3,000 Taka. C is unable to pay anything, and A is compelled to pay the whole. A is entitled to receive 1,500 Taka from B.  
(d) A, B and C are under a joint promise to pay D 3,000 Taka, A and B being only sureties for C. C fails to pay. A and B are compelled to pay the whole sum. They are entitled to recover it from C.  
Effect of release of one joint promisor  
44. Where two or more persons have made a joint promise, a release of one of such joint promisors by the promisee does not discharge the other joint promisor or joint promisors; neither does it free the joint promisors so released from responsibility to the other joint promisor or joint promisors.      
Devolution of joint rights  
45. When a person has made a promise to two or more persons jointly, then, unless a contrary intention appears from the contract, the right to claim performance rests, as between him and them, with them during their joint lives, and, after the death of any of them, with the representative of such deceased person jointly with the survivor or survivors, and, after the death of the last survivor, with the representatives of all jointly.  
Illustration  
A, in consideration of 5,000 Taka lent to him by B and C, promises B and C jointly to repay them that sum with interest on a day specified. B dies. The right to claim performance rests with B's representative jointly with C during C's life, and after the death of C with the representatives of B and C jointly.