Entering Bangladesh: your first 180 days.

01Step 1 — Choose the right entry vehicle

The structure you choose determines what you are allowed to do, which authority approves you, how you are taxed, and how easily you can scale or exit. Match the vehicle to your objective, not the other way round.

Liaison office

Best for market research, relationship building, and coordinating with local suppliers or partners. A liaison office cannot earn revenue locally and is funded from abroad. It is a low-commitment way to establish a presence while you validate the opportunity.

Branch office

Allows a foreign company to carry out specific approved activities in Bangladesh as an extension of the parent. Useful for project-based work and services, but liability sits with the parent and the scope of permitted activity is defined at approval.

Private limited company (subsidiary)

The most common choice for companies that intend to trade, manufacture, or serve the local market over the long term. Incorporated locally with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC), a subsidiary can be wholly foreign-owned in most sectors, giving full operational flexibility and limited liability.

Joint venture

Pairs your capital, technology, or market access with a local partner's licences, land, relationships, and distribution. Often the fastest route to scale in regulated or relationship-driven sectors — provided governance and exit terms are agreed upfront.

02Step 2 — Registration and licensing sequence

Requirements vary by sector and structure, but a typical sequence for a foreign-owned private limited company looks like the checklist below. BIDA's One Stop Service can handle many of these steps through a single portal.

• ✓Name clearance with RJSC.
• ✓Open a temporary bank account and remit initial share capital through formal banking channels; obtain an encashment certificate.
• ✓Incorporate with RJSC — Memorandum and Articles of Association, certificate of incorporation.
• ✓Register the investment with BIDA (or BEPZA / BEZA if operating in a zone).
• ✓Obtain a Trade Licence from the relevant city corporation or local authority.
• ✓Register for an e-TIN and, where applicable, VAT/BIN with the National Board of Revenue.
• ✓Secure import (IRC) and/or export (ERC) registration if you will trade goods.
• ✓Apply for sector-specific licences and environmental clearance where required.
• ✓Apply for work permits and visas for foreign staff.
• ✓Convert to a permanent bank account and set up payroll and statutory compliance.

03Step 3 — Selecting the right local partners

Whether it is a joint-venture partner, distributor, contract manufacturer, or service provider, the partners you choose will shape your reputation and your speed. Apply the same discipline you would to an acquisition.

1. Define the role: what exactly do you need the partner to bring — licences, land, customers, operations, or credibility?
2. Build a long list from multiple sources: chambers of commerce, industry associations, embassies, development partners, and trusted advisers.
3. Verify fundamentals: legal standing, ownership, financial health, litigation history, and compliance record.
4. Check reputation: speak to customers, suppliers, bankers, and former partners.
5. Test alignment: agree on growth ambitions, reinvestment, and decision rights before discussing valuation.
6. Structure for clarity: governance, reporting, deadlock resolution, intellectual property, and exit terms in writing.

The right partner can compress years of market learning into months. The wrong one can cost you the market.

04Step 4 — Your first 180 days

Treat entry as a phased programme with clear decision gates, not a single event. A realistic plan for most mid-sized entries looks like this:

1. Days 0–30

   Explore & decide

   • Confirm the objective, target segment, and success measures.
   • Select the entry vehicle and location (zone or non-zone).
   • Map stakeholders: regulators, chambers, potential partners.
   • Appoint legal, tax, and on-ground advisers.
2. Days 31–90

   Structure & register

   • Complete incorporation and investment registration.
   • Run partner due diligence and agree heads of terms.
   • Open bank accounts and remit initial capital.
   • Shortlist premises and senior local hires.
3. Days 91–180

   Engage & execute

   • Finalise sector licences, work permits, and tax registrations.
   • Sign partnership or supply agreements.
   • Hire the core team and establish compliance routines.
   • Launch pilot operations and review against the original objective.

05Common pitfalls — and how to avoid them

• Starting registration before the structure is settled — changing vehicle mid-process means repeating approvals.
• Underestimating timelines — build buffers for documentation, attestation, and agency review.
• Choosing partners on introductions alone — always verify independently.
• Neglecting foreign-exchange documentation — it becomes critical when you repatriate profits.
• Treating compliance as a one-off — tax filings, licence renewals, and labour obligations recur every year.

Moddin works with companies through each of these stages — from choosing the structure to coordinating approvals, partner introductions, and on-ground execution.