Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. FM Consulting International
Premier FM Heights, 2nd Floor, Suite- A1,
House No.88 Road No. 10/1, Block – D,
Niketon, Gulshan- 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh
+8801916666566,
+88 029859822,
+88 01999456456
info@fmcibd.com
https://www.fmcibd.com/contact-us
2. ACNABIN
Chartered Accountants
BDBL Bhaban (Level-13)
12 Kawran Bazar Commercial Area
Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh.
Telephone: (+88-02) 41020030 to 35
Fascimile: (+88-02) 41020036
E-mail: acnabin@bangla.net
Web: www.acnabin.com
Legal Firms
Company Documentation:
1. Company Name
2. MOA & AOA
3. Bank Account Opening and issue of encashment certificate (Only for Foreign Shareholding)
4. Submission of docs to RJSC (The Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms)
5. RJSC Incorporation Certificate with registration no
6. Form XIII – Company Director’s list
7. Tax Identification Number
8. Trade License
9. VAT Registration Certificate
10. Fire Certificate (Mandatory)
11. Environmental Clearance Certificate (Mandatory)
12. Board Resolution
13. Provident Fund Registration (May not be mandatory. Need to be confirmed)
14. Pension Scheme Registration (May not be mandatory. Need to be confirmed)
15. Employment Injury Insurance (EII) Registration (May not be mandatory. Need to be confirmed)
Foreign Investors Doing Business In Bangladesh
ENTRY OPTIONS INTO BANGLADESH. A foreign investor intending to do business in Bangladesh has 3 options, and may
establish its presence through:
2. Branch office
3. Liaison office
1. LOCALLY REGISTERED COMPANY. Incorporating or acquiring a locally registered company offers the most flexible
option to the investor. Foreign investors are allowed to invest or own shares or incorporate companies in most sectors.
Prior approval is required for some sectors. Foreign investors may also establish a joint venture company with either a
local or another foreign investor. The company may take the form of either a private or public limited company. For the
purposes of taxes, a locally registered company will be considered as a domestic company.
Step 1: Apply to obtain name clearance from the RJSC. After applying for name clearance, the Registrar of Joint Stock
Companies and Firms (“RJSC”) will verify that the chosen company name is not similar to any existing name in their
database. If the document confirming the name clearance is issued, it will be valid for 180 days and the investor must
complete the company registration prior to this period or apply for an extension of the name clearance.
Step 2: Opening a Temporary Bank Account for Remitting Paid-up Capital. Along with the document confirming name
clearance, the foreign investor is required to open a temporary bank account in the name of the proposed company. The
draft Memorandum and Articles of Association will also need to be submitted. The purpose of opening the bank account
would be to remit the paid-up capital. The remitted amount must be equal to the paid-up capital of the foreign investor.
The bank will then issue an encashment certificate, which will be required by RJSC at the time of incorporation. The
temporary bank account will become a regular account upon incorporation of the company.
Step 3: Incorporation of the Company. The next step would be to finalize the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
These need to be submitted to RJSC through its website. According to the guidance published by RJSC. Required
information and documents include:
Other information, documents, or items that may further be required at the time incorporation include:
After submission of all required documents, payment of registration and filing fee will have to be made to the bank. RJSC
officials will then verify the information and documents. RJSC, upon its satisfaction, will issue the Certificate of
Incorporation along with a digitally certified copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association and Form XII.
Once the company is incorporated, the foreign investor must then file annual returns and also regular returns in the event
of any relevant change to the company structure with the RJSC.
Prior Approval from relevant ministries/authorities is required for establishing business in the following sectors:
2. BRANCH OFFICE. An investor may conduct business in Bangladesh by establishing a branch office of its foreign
company. A branch office operates similar to a company except that it is only permitted to conduct business in areas
permitted by the Bangladesh Investment and Development Authority (“BIDA”). The permission to operate as a branch
office is also subject to renewal after 3 years. However, the winding down process of a branch office is far less
complicated than a company. A branch office is an extension of the foreign company, whereas a locally registered
company is a separate entity from the foreign company,
In addition to obtaining approval by the BIDA, a Branch Office must also register with the Registrar of Joint Stock
Companies and Firms (“RJSC”) and comply with its obligations under the Companies Act.
3. LIAISON OFFICE. A liaison office allows the foreign investor to establish a more direct communication channel with the
Bangladesh market. A liaison office is not permitted to conduct any commercial activity. According to the BIDA , the only
activities a liaison office is permitted to undertake are the following:
maintain liaison/coordination between principal and local agents, distributors/exporters’ institutions through
correspondences, personal contracts and other electronic media.
collect, compile analyze and disseminate business information related to its field of activities as mentioned in the
approval letter.
All costs associated with the liaison office must be paid by the foreign investor through inward remittance. No outward
remittance from Bangladesh sources will be permitted.
Similar to a branch office, establishing a liaison office requires approval from BIDA and must register with the RJSC.
Step 1: Obtaining Permission from the Bangladesh Investment and Development Authority (BIDA)
In order to open a branch office or a liaison office in Bangladesh, it is necessary to obtain permission from BIDA. To apply
for permission, the following documents are required:
The documents must be attested by the Bangladesh Embassy or High Commission of the country of origin. Alternatively, it
may be attested by the Apex Chamber of Commerce of the country of origin. Additionally, BDT 25,000 must be paid and
the Pay Order must be submitted to BIDA. BIDA may request further documents or information as part of the application
process. The application along with the documents will be reviewed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee. If the application
is approved, BIDA will issue an approval letter. The approval is valid for three years.
Step 2: Opening a Bank for Remitting Establishment and Initial Operational Cost. After approval from BIDA, a bank
account must be opened. The purpose of opening the bank account is to remit at least USD 50,000. The remittance is
intended to cover establishment and operational costs of the first 6 months. The foreign investor must remit this amount
within two months from the date of approval from BIDA.
Step 3: Register with the RJSC. The final step is to register the branch or liaison office with the RJSC. To register with the
RJSC, the following information or documents will be required: