TRW & Co · Investment approvals
BIDA Registration Is Now Invest Bangladesh: How Foreign Investors Register
The BIDA registration process now belongs to the Invest Bangladesh Authority, created by the Invest Bangladesh Act 2026 from BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority. Investors still register online through the one-stop service, but they file with the new authority, update old BIDA references and, inside Chattogram's export processing zones, apply to BEPZA instead.
Key pointInvest Bangladesh registration is optional for trading businesses but is the key to incentives, visas, work permits and import approvals. Inside the EPZs, BEPZA remains the approving authority because it was left out of the 2026 merger.
At a glance
New authority
The Invest Bangladesh Act 2026, passed on 15 July 2026, merged BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority into the Invest Bangladesh Authority under the Prime Minister's Office.
Repealed statutes
The Act repeals the BIDA Act 2016, the Economic Zones Act 2010, the PPP Act 2015 and the One Stop Service Act 2018, consolidating their mandates.
Who can register
Domestic, fully foreign and joint venture projects, plus branch, liaison, representative and project offices. Pure trading businesses are not required to register.
Branch office rules
Initial approval for three years, at least US$50,000 remitted within two months, Bangladesh Bank notice and RJSC filing each within 30 days.
EPZ exception
Factories in the Chattogram EPZ, Karnaphuli EPZ and BEPZA Economic Zone apply to BEPZA, which stayed outside the 2026 merger.
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The short answer: the BIDA registration process now runs through Invest Bangladesh
The BIDA registration process no longer runs through BIDA. Parliament passed the Invest Bangladesh Bill on 15 July 2026, and the Invest Bangladesh Act 2026 was brought into force by gazette notification in August 2026. It replaced the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and the Public Private Partnership Authority with a single Invest Bangladesh Authority under the Prime Minister's Office.
For an investor, the steps look familiar. You incorporate or obtain approval for the entity, register the project online through the one-stop service (OSS), and then use that registration to obtain tax, trade, import and visa services. What has changed is the authority's name and legal basis, and the fact that economic zones and PPP projects now sit with the same body.
One exception matters especially in Chattogram (Chittagong). Factories inside the Chattogram EPZ, Karnaphuli EPZ or BEPZA Economic Zone apply to the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), not Invest Bangladesh, because BEPZA was not part of the merger.
What changed in 2026, and what did not
According to the authority's press release on the Bill, once the Act takes effect it repeals the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act 2016, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Act 2010, the Public Private Partnership Act 2015 and the One Stop Service Act 2018. Their mandates are consolidated in Invest Bangladesh, which is to coordinate approvals, registration, import-export processes, incentives, industrial zone development and PPP projects on a single digital platform.
The national news agency BSS reported that the merger was not intended to disrupt existing investor services and that the BanglaBiz online licensing platform continues. Reports at launch also described the assets, records, contracts and liabilities of the three bodies passing to the new authority, with their staff absorbed into equivalent posts.
Bangladesh Bank has started updating its foreign exchange rules to match. Its Foreign Exchange Policy Department circular no. 40 of 30 September 2026 refers to the Invest Bangladesh Authority in place of BIDA. Older bank checklists that still say "BIDA" should be read with that change in mind.
What an old BIDA certificate means now
Many companies in Chattogram hold BIDA registration letters, branch office permissions or work permits issued before August 2026. The transfer of records to the new authority means those files have not disappeared, and the authority has presented the change as continuity rather than a fresh start. We have not seen a general requirement to re-register.
The practical issue is renewals and third parties. When a permission comes up for renewal or amendment, it will be handled by Invest Bangladesh, and banks, customs and the NBR may ask how an older BIDA reference fits the new structure. Keep the original letter, the OSS application record and any later correspondence together, and check the current form before filing anything that refers to the old authority.
Who needs to register, and why it matters
The official Invest Bangladesh FAQ lists four groups that can register: domestic investment projects, 100 per cent foreign investment projects, joint venture entities, and branch, liaison, representative, project and similar offices. Both manufacturing and service industries can register.
Registration is not a requirement for commercial and trading activity. A pure trading company in Chattogram can operate without it. The reason most investors still complete the BIDA registration process, now with Invest Bangladesh, is access: registered businesses become eligible for government incentives, can obtain licences and approvals through the authority, and receive facilitation and aftercare services.
Registration also unlocks practical services listed in the FAQ. These include visa recommendations and work permits for foreign nationals, approval of royalty and technical fee agreements, recommendations for import of capital machinery and raw materials, and approval of foreign loans and supplier credit.
Invest Bangladesh, BEPZA or someone else?
Before starting, confirm that Invest Bangladesh is in fact your approving authority. The site and the type of entity decide it.
| Project | Approving authority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial or service project on ordinary land | Invest Bangladesh Authority | Online registration through OSS; the company itself is incorporated with RJSC |
| Project in an economic zone formerly run by BEZA, such as the National Special Economic Zone at Mirsarai | Invest Bangladesh Authority | Zone functions transferred from BEZA under the 2026 Act |
| Factory in the Chattogram EPZ, Karnaphuli EPZ or BEPZA Economic Zone | BEPZA | Separate project proposal, sanction and lease; see BEPZA's how to apply page |
| Branch, liaison, representative or project office of a foreign company | Invest Bangladesh Authority | Approval rather than registration, followed by Bangladesh Bank notice and RJSC filing |
| Trading or commercial company | No registration required | RJSC incorporation, tax and trade licence are still needed |
The economic zones are the part of the map that changed most. Projects in the National Special Economic Zone at Mirsarai, and in other zones declared under the old BEZA law, previously dealt with BEZA; they now deal with Invest Bangladesh, which the Act tasks with managing industrial zones alongside registration. For a Chattogram investor comparing Mirsarai with a city EPZ, that means comparing two different authorities, two sets of zone rules and two customs arrangements, not just two plots of land.
Sector regulators sit on top of all of this. Banking, insurance, telecoms, power and private port projects need their own licences, which no investment registration can replace. Our guide to the BEPZA investment process covers the zone route in full.
The registration process, step by step
For a new foreign-owned or joint venture company outside the zones, the BIDA registration process now follows the sequence the Invest Bangladesh FAQ describes. Most steps are online through the one-stop service portal.
- Clear the company name. Apply for name clearance to the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms through OSS. The FAQ states that foreign companies pay BDT 230 including VAT for name clearance.
- Bring in the capital. Open a temporary bank account, deposit capital in line with the shareholding and collect the bank's encashment certificate.
- Incorporate with RJSC. Prepare the memorandum and articles, Form IX, Form I and the subscription page, submit them through OSS and pay registration fees and stamp duty. On approval you receive the certificate of incorporation and Form XII.
- Register the project with Invest Bangladesh. File the project registration on OSS with the investment, production, employment and machinery details. The registration letter is then used for most later services.
- Complete tax and local registrations. Obtain an e-TIN, a trade licence and VAT registration. Chattogram City Corporation's trade licensing is one of the city services available on OSS.
- Obtain import and export registration. Companies that import or export need registration certificates. New industries can receive an ad hoc import registration certificate on the authority's recommendation, regularised later once enough of the entitlement is used.
- Arrange visas and work permits. Apply for visa recommendations and, after arrival, work permits for expatriate staff. Our work permit guide explains the timeline.
Save every OSS submission, payment receipt and approval as a PDF as you go. Banks, customs and auditors will ask for the registration letter and the encashment certificate years later, and a transition between authorities is exactly when online records are hardest to retrieve.
Branch, liaison and representative offices
Foreign companies that only want an office follow a different path. The FAQ sets it out: approval through OSS with documents submitted physically afterwards, initially for three years; foreign exchange of at least US$50,000 brought in within two months of approval; notice to Bangladesh Bank under section 18B of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 within 30 days through the office's bank; and an application to RJSC within 30 days for a certificate of filing under section 379 of the Companies Act 1994. Our article on branch office registration goes through each stage.
Documents to prepare before you start
The BIDA registration process moves fastest when the paperwork is ready before the first login. For a foreign or joint venture company, assemble the parent company's constitutional documents and a board resolution approving the investment, passports and addresses of directors and shareholders, the proposed memorandum and articles, any joint venture or shareholders' agreement, the office or factory lease, the bank's encashment certificate and a short project profile with investment, production and employment figures.
Consistency matters more than volume. The project profile, the company's objects clause, the lease and the machinery list should all describe the same business. When they do not, OSS applications are returned with queries, and each query adds days. Documents signed abroad generally need notarisation and attestation by the Bangladesh mission before RJSC and the authority accept them.
After registration: keeping the file current
Registration is the start of a relationship with the authority, not the end of the BIDA registration process. Registered companies typically return to the authority for import entitlements, visa recommendations, work permits and their renewals, approval of royalty or technical fee agreements and approval of foreign loans or supplier credit, each of which is listed in the official FAQ.
Changes in the business should be reflected in the file. A new product line, a change of shareholder, an increase in capital or a move to a new site can affect incentives and the information the authority holds. Branch and liaison offices have a fixed approval period, so the renewal date should be diarised from the day approval arrives. Alongside the authority, RJSC annual returns, tax filings, VAT returns and the trade licence renewal with Chattogram City Corporation all keep running.
Foreign loans deserve a specific mention. The FAQ states that approval is required for foreign currency borrowing to import capital goods, through a scrutiny committee, and that permission is not given for loans used exclusively as working capital. Signing a foreign loan before approval can leave a company unable to repay lawfully.
An illustrative scenario
This scenario is illustrative only; the parties are generic. A Gulf-based logistics group wants to open a warehousing and freight business near Chattogram port with a Bangladeshi partner. It needs a joint venture company, not a branch, because the partner will hold shares and the business will earn local revenue.
The group clears the name, remits its share of the capital through the banking channel and incorporates with RJSC. It then registers the project with Invest Bangladesh so that it can import handling equipment and obtain work permits for two expatriate managers. Its older advisers prepared documents referring to BIDA; before filing, its lawyers update every reference to the new authority and confirm the current OSS forms.
Because the warehouse sits on private land, the BIDA registration process is only one strand. Title checks, environmental clearance and the trade licence from Chattogram City Corporation run alongside it. The lesson is that registration opens doors but does not replace the site and sector approvals behind them.
The same group could have chosen a branch office instead. It would then have needed approval rather than registration, a minimum inward remittance within two months, and filings with Bangladesh Bank and RJSC within 30 days. Because it wanted a local partner with equity, the company route was the right one, and the BIDA registration process followed naturally from that choice.
Risks and common mistakes
Using BIDA-era forms and checklists without checking
Bank checklists, consultants' templates and old websites still refer to BIDA, BEZA and the One Stop Service Act. Those statutes are being replaced, and filings that cite the wrong authority or an outdated form can be returned.
Confirm the current form and office before each filing, and check Bangladesh Bank circulars for updated references to the Invest Bangladesh Authority.
Sending capital before the structure is fixed
Money that arrives in a sponsor's personal account, or before the company exists, is difficult to treat as foreign equity. That complicates share issues, dividend remittance and exit.
Remit through an authorised dealer bank into the company's account and keep the encashment certificate. Our guide to foreign investment in Bangladesh covers the foreign exchange rules.
Registering with the wrong authority
An investor who registers a mainland project and then moves into an EPZ, or the reverse, may have to start again with a different authority, with different incentives and customs treatment.
Choose the site before filing. If the choice is still open, compare the zone and mainland routes first.
Missing the branch office deadlines
Branch and liaison office approvals come with short follow-up windows for the initial remittance, the Bangladesh Bank notice and the RJSC filing. Missing them can put the approval at risk and causes problems at renewal.
Diarise each deadline from the approval date and assign one person to track them.
Foreign investors and NRBs
Most investors begin the BIDA registration process from abroad. Board resolutions, powers of attorney and parent company documents are signed overseas, and they usually need notarisation and attestation before RJSC or the authority will accept them. Allow time for that step, especially where several jurisdictions are involved.
TRW & Co's offices in Dhaka, Singapore, Dubai and London help coordinate foreign documents and holding structures, while our Chattogram team handles local filings. Non-resident Bangladeshis investing family or business savings face the same rules and should keep clear records of how funds arrived. See our foreign investment practice and company registration team for the wider picture.
What to do next
- Confirm whether your project falls under Invest Bangladesh, BEPZA or no registration at all.
- Decide between a company, a branch and a liaison office before remitting any money.
- Update any document that still refers to BIDA, BEZA or the One Stop Service Act.
- Collect the encashment certificate, incorporation documents and OSS records in one file.
- Diarise follow-up deadlines, especially for branch and liaison offices.
- Plan environmental clearance, the trade licence and work permits alongside registration.
A short review at the start usually saves weeks later. Visit our Chattogram office at Room 4022, Annex 2, District and Sessions Judge Court Building, Court Hill (Porir Pahar), Kotwali, Chattogram 4000, email info@trw.co, call +880 1779 127165 or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
01Is BIDA registration still possible in 2026?
Not under that name. The Invest Bangladesh Act 2026 replaced BIDA with the Invest Bangladesh Authority, which took over registration, approvals coordination and incentives. The online steps through the one-stop service are similar, but filings are made to the new authority. Some portals and documents still carry the BIDA name while systems are consolidated, so check the current form before submitting anything.
02Is my old BIDA registration letter still valid?
Reports at launch described BIDA's records, contracts and liabilities passing to Invest Bangladesh, and the authority presented the change as continuity of service. We have not seen a general requirement to re-register. Renewals and amendments will now be handled by Invest Bangladesh, and banks or customs may ask how an older BIDA reference fits the new structure, so keep the original letter and OSS records together.
03Do trading companies need to register with Invest Bangladesh?
No. The authority's FAQ says registration is not a requirement for commercial and trading activities. A trading company still needs RJSC incorporation, an e-TIN, VAT registration, a trade licence and import or export registration if it trades across borders. Registration becomes worthwhile when the business wants incentives, work permits, visa recommendations or other services the authority provides. Many trading companies with expatriate managers register for that reason alone.
04How long does the registration process take?
Online services on OSS are designed to be quick when the file is complete, and the authority's FAQ gives short service times for several individual steps. In practice, the longer parts are usually incorporation documents, the capital remittance, attestation of foreign documents and sector approvals. Sector licences, such as those for power or private port projects, can take much longer than the registration itself. We give a realistic timetable once we know the structure, sector and site.
05Should a factory in a Chattogram EPZ register with Invest Bangladesh?
Generally no. Enterprises inside BEPZA's zones are sanctioned by BEPZA, which handles their lease, permits and work permits through its own one-window service. BEPZA was not merged into Invest Bangladesh. Economic zones formerly run by BEZA, however, now fall under Invest Bangladesh, so the zone you choose decides the authority. If you are still comparing sites, compare the two regimes before you file with either, because incentives and customs treatment differ.
06What does a foreign branch office need after approval?
The Invest Bangladesh FAQ lists the follow-up steps: bring in foreign exchange of at least US$50,000 within two months, notify Bangladesh Bank under section 18B of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 within 30 days through the office's bank, and apply to RJSC within 30 days for a certificate of filing under section 379 of the Companies Act 1994. A TIN, trade licence and VAT registration follow.
Sources and official materials
- Invest Bangladesh: press release on the Invest Bangladesh Bill 2026 — Merger of BIDA, BEZA and PPPA; statutes repealed
- Invest Bangladesh FAQ — Who can register, incorporation, branch offices, visas, work permits
- One-Stop Service portal — Online registration and linked services
- BSS: Invest Bangladesh begins operations — Launch, continuity of services and staff transition
- Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 — Section 18B notice for foreign offices
- Bangladesh Bank — Foreign exchange circulars, including FEPD updates
- BEPZA: How to Apply — Zone route for EPZ projects
General information only, current as at 2 November 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create an advocate–client relationship. It reflects the law of Bangladesh unless stated otherwise, and the law, court practice and official fees change frequently. Check current official sources and take advice on the facts of your matter.
