Foreign Investment Lawyers in Bangladesh
For foreign companies, funds and individuals entering Bangladesh, and for the Bangladeshi partners they work with. We advise on the entry route, register the investment with Invest Bangladesh (formerly BIDA), obtain Bangladesh Bank approvals, secure work permits, draft the joint-venture and shareholder agreements, and move profits, dividends and capital out through the authorised-dealer banks. Instructions by video, in your time zone.
Is this your situation?
Pick the line closest to what you need. Each one takes you to the service, the process and the forum.
Choosing how to enter Bangladesh
Subsidiary, joint venture, branch, liaison or project office, or an economic zone: compared on ownership, tax, repatriation and time to start.
See how we help →Registering the investment
Invest Bangladesh (formerly BIDA) registration, the one-stop service, sector approvals and economic-zone licences.
See how we help →Bringing in share money or a foreign loan
Encashment certificates, share-money reporting, foreign-loan approval and the Bangladesh Bank filings that make later repatriation possible.
See how we help →Work permits and expatriate staff
Work permits through Invest Bangladesh, visas and security clearance, employment contracts and the tax position of expatriate employees.
See how we help →A joint venture with a Bangladeshi partner
Due diligence on the partner, the JV and shareholder agreement, board control, funding and exit, and an arbitration clause enforceable in Dhaka.
See how we help →Taking profits, dividends or capital out
Dividend, royalty, technical-fee and sale-proceeds remittance through the authorised dealer, with the tax clearance and Bangladesh Bank steps done in order.
See how we help →What we do
Foreign investment work is advisory and regulatory first, then corporate and tax. Each section below is handled by the same team that forms the company and files its returns, so nothing is lost between the investor’s head office and the Dhaka subsidiary.
- Entry route and ownershipComparison of a wholly foreign-owned subsidiary, joint venture, branch, liaison or project office, and economic-zone options; confirmation of 100% foreign ownership for your sector and of any reserved or restricted activity; and a step-by-step timetable from decision to first invoice.
- Invest Bangladesh (formerly BIDA) registrationRegistration of the industrial or commercial investment with Invest Bangladesh, which has absorbed BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority under the Invest Bangladesh Act 2026; one-stop-service applications; sector approvals; and economic-zone or hi-tech-park licences where the project sits in a zone.
- Bangladesh Bank approvals and reportingShare-money deposit and encashment certificates, reporting of foreign investment, approval of foreign loans from a parent or lender, royalty and technical-assistance agreements, and the periodic returns under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 and the Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Transactions.
- Work permits, visas and expatriate employmentWork permits for expatriate directors and staff, E-visa recommendations and security clearance, employment contracts under Bangladesh law, and the income-tax residency and withholding position of expatriate employees.
- Joint-venture and shareholder agreementsDue diligence on the Bangladeshi counterparty, term sheet, JV and shareholder agreement, Articles amended to match, technology-transfer and distribution agreements, and dispute resolution through BIAC or foreign-seated arbitration with awards enforceable in Dhaka.
- Repatriation of profits, dividends and capitalDividend remittance with tax clearance and the auditor’s certificate, royalty and technical-fee remittance within the approved limits, repatriation of sale proceeds and liquidation surplus, and the corporate tax, withholding and treaty relief that affect the net amount received.
The law we work under
These are the main statutes and regulators behind the work on this page. Every matter also turns on its own facts and papers.
- Foreign Private Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act 1980
- Invest Bangladesh Act 2026
- Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947
- Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Transactions (GFET)
- Companies Act 1994
- Income Tax Act 2023
- Arbitration Act 2001
- Invest Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Bank
How it works
- Tell us the projectWhat you will do in Bangladesh, the sector, the expected investment and who the partners are, if any.
- Route and timetableA written memo comparing the entry routes for your sector, with approvals, tax and repatriation, and a timetable with a fee quotation.
- Registrations and agreementsCompany or office formation, Invest Bangladesh registration, Bangladesh Bank filings, work permits and the JV or shareholder agreement, in the right order.
- OngoingAnnual compliance, dividend and royalty remittances, and a named advocate for the Dhaka entity who reports to your head office.
What to bring
- Group structure chart and the proposed Bangladesh entity
- Passports of directors and shareholders; certificate of incorporation of the parent
- Sector and products or services, and whether the project will sit in an economic zone
- Expected investment amount and funding mix (equity and loan)
- Any term sheet, MoU or draft JV agreement
- For existing investments: Invest Bangladesh certificate, encashment certificates and last Bangladesh Bank filings
Free guides on this topic
Plain-language guides written in the chamber and reviewed by a barrister.
Common questions
Is BIDA still the registration authority?
BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority were merged into Invest Bangladesh under the Invest Bangladesh Act 2026, which took effect in August 2026. Registrations and approvals formerly handled by BIDA are now handled by Invest Bangladesh, through the same one-stop service.
Can profits be freely repatriated?
Yes, where the investment was brought in through banking channels and reported to Bangladesh Bank, and the tax has been paid. The order of steps matters; we handle the tax clearance, auditor’s certificate and bank file.
Do we need a local director or shareholder?
Not in most sectors. A foreign national may be the sole shareholder and director; a Bangladesh registered office and certain local filings are still required.
How long before the Bangladesh entity can trade?
Typically a few weeks for incorporation and the first registrations, longer where Invest Bangladesh sector approval, an economic-zone licence or a foreign-loan approval is needed. We give a dated timetable in the first memo.
Can disputes with a local partner be arbitrated abroad?
Yes. Foreign-seated arbitration is permitted and foreign awards are enforceable in Bangladesh under the Arbitration Act 2001, subject to its conditions. We draft the clause so that enforcement in Dhaka is practical.
Investing in Bangladesh?
Tell us the sector, the structure you have in mind and where you are. We reply within 24 hours with the entry route, the approvals and a written quotation. A written assessment costs nothing.