Foreign Investment Project Registration in Bangladesh: Invest Bangladesh (Formerly BIDA) Guide 2026

The institutional framework for investment approval in Bangladesh changed on 20 August 2026. The Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026 (Act No. 104 of 2026) brought the new Invest Bangladesh Authority into operation by merging the former Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA).

Accordingly, an application commonly searched for as “BIDA registration” is now legally an Invest Bangladesh service. During the transition, however, existing investor services continue and some online forms, certificates and guidance may still display the former BIDA or BEZA branding. Applicants should therefore use the live portal description available on the filing date and retain every electronic acknowledgement.

This guide uses the expression “Invest Bangladesh (formerly BIDA)” where necessary so that investors can identify both the current legal authority and the familiar service name.

Foreign investment project registration is the regulatory registration of a 100% foreign-owned or foreign-local joint-venture manufacturing or service project with Bangladesh's investment authority.

The registration records the principal features of the project, including its ownership, location, proposed activity, investment, financing, machinery, production or service capacity and employment. It then functions as an important reference document when the enterprise applies for connected investment services and regulatory recommendations.

Registration may support applications for:

• industrial Import Registration Certificate (IRC) recommendations;
• permission or recommendation for importing capital machinery;
• investor or employment visa recommendations;
• expatriate work permits;
• foreign-loan or supplier-credit approvals where required;
• approval or processing of royalty, technical assistance, technical know-how and franchise remittances;
• applicable investment incentives, facilities and aftercare support.

The registration certificate is therefore an important part of an industrial project's compliance architecture. It is not, however, a substitute for the separate approvals required to build, import, manufacture, employ, remit or operate.

The first legal question is not “Which form should we file?” It is “Which authority and service stream apply to this project?” The answer depends on the project's location, activity and legal structure.

Current route-selection guide

A. Company incorporation

Incorporation creates the Bangladeshi company as a separate legal person under the Companies Act, 1994. It is completed through the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC).

B. Industrial project registration

Project registration records and recognises the industrial or eligible service project with Invest Bangladesh. It normally follows incorporation and preparation of the principal project documents.

C. Permission for a foreign office

A branch, liaison, representative or project office is an extension of a company incorporated outside Bangladesh. It is not a Bangladeshi subsidiary, and it requires a different permission process with different documents, restrictions, fees and timelines.

Invest Bangladesh's current guidance permits registration of:

• domestic investment projects;
• 100% foreign-owned investment projects;
• joint-venture projects; and
• both manufacturing and eligible service industries.

Pure commercial and trading activities are generally outside the industrial project registration requirement. This exception does not mean that a trading company is unregulated. Depending on its activities, it may still need:

• incorporation or foreign-office permission;
• trade licence;
• company TIN and income-tax compliance;
• VAT registration or enlistment;
• commercial Import Registration Certificate (IRC) or Export Registration Certificate (ERC);
• sectoral licence, approval or membership;
• lawful foreign-exchange and banking arrangements;
• work permits for foreign personnel.

Where a business combines trading, assembly, manufacturing, processing, logistics or technology services, its actual operational model should be reviewed before deciding whether project registration is required.

The main legal instruments relevant to a foreign investment project include:

1. Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026 — establishes the current authority and unified investment framework. It replaced the institutional laws governing BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority and repealed the One Stop Service Act, 2018.
2. Companies Act, 1994 — governs incorporation, share capital, directors, statutory filings and foreign-company filings.
3. Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947, Bangladesh Bank circulars and the Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Transactions (GFET), 2018, as amended — govern inward investment, share issuance reporting, foreign loans and outward remittances.
4. Foreign Private Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act, 1980 — provides statutory protections for qualifying foreign private investment.
5. National Industrial Policy, 2022 — identifies sector classifications, priority areas and controlled activities for which prior NOC or approval may be required.
6. Income Tax Act, 2023 and annual Finance Act measures — govern company taxation, withholding, returns, incentives and remittances.
7. Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012 and applicable rules — govern VAT registration and transaction compliance.
8. Environmental, fire-safety, labour, factory, building, land-use, import-export and sector-specific laws applicable to the particular project.

The project should be designed against the entire regulatory map, not only the investment-registration form.

The following sequence is generally appropriate for a locally incorporated company with foreign shareholding.

Step 1: Confirm that foreign investment is permitted in the proposed sector

Most sectors permit foreign investment, but some activities are reserved, restricted or controlled. A controlled activity may require an NOC or approval from the relevant ministry, directorate or regulator under the National Industrial Policy, 2022 and the sector's governing law.

Examples of sectors requiring additional scrutiny may include banking, insurance, telecommunications, power and energy, aviation, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, education, explosives, security-related activities and certain natural-resource projects.

Step 2: Choose the legal structure

For a continuing business operation, a private limited company incorporated in Bangladesh is often the preferred structure. A branch, liaison or project office may be suitable in particular circumstances, but it is subject to a separate permission regime and operational limits.

Step 3: Obtain name clearance and arrange the investment bank account

Foreign investors may open a Temporary Non-Resident Taka Account (NRTA) with an authorised dealer bank in the name of the proposed venture. Bangladesh Bank states that prior Bangladesh Bank permission is not required for this temporary account.

Capital should be remitted through a formal banking channel. The bank's encashment certificate and remittance records should identify the foreign investor and the proposed Bangladeshi company accurately.

Step 4: Incorporate the company with RJSC

The incorporation package ordinarily includes the memorandum and articles of association, prescribed forms, subscriber and director information and the applicable fees and stamp duty. The objects clause should accurately cover the proposed project activities.

Step 5: Complete essential post-incorporation records

The company should obtain or prepare, as applicable:

• corporate bank-account documentation;
• e-TIN;
• trade licence showing the appropriate business activity and address;
• VAT registration or enlistment;
• office and factory land or lease documents;
• RJSC Form VI and Form XII records;
• foreign equity and encashment evidence;
• controlled-sector NOC or licence, if applicable.

The current published checklist for a 100% foreign or joint-venture industrial project includes the following core documents:

• Certificate of Incorporation;
• Memorandum and Articles of Association;
• up-to-date Trade Licence;
• up-to-date TIN Certificate;
• land purchase deed or rental/lease agreement for the project office and factory;
• encashment certificate for foreign investment;
• RJSC-approved Form VI and Form XII;
• NOC from the relevant ministry, directorate or department for a controlled sector under the National Industrial Policy, 2022;
• any additional document or company explanation requested during scrutiny.

Additional project documents to prepare

Although the exact upload list may vary by the live portal and project, a well-prepared applicant should also keep ready:

• board resolution authorising the investment and application;
• authorisation letter for the person filing the application;
• list of directors and shareholders with nationality and address;
• detailed local and imported machinery list, including HS codes, quantity and value where relevant;
• project profile or feasibility report, particularly for a larger project;
• proposed product or service description and annual capacity;
• implementation schedule and expected commercial operation date;
• employment plan separating local and expatriate positions;
• project-cost and means-of-finance statement;
• source-of-funds evidence;
• environmental, land-use, fire or building documents already obtained;
• sector-specific approval, licence or NOC.

Document consistency matters more than volume

The company name, address, project activity, investment amount, shareholder identity and ownership percentages must be consistent across the application, RJSC records, bank certificates, trade licence, TIN, lease, machinery list and project profile.

A single inconsistency—such as a factory address missing from the trade licence or an investor name recorded differently in the encashment certificate—may generate a shortfall and delay the registration.

Step 1: Complete the route and sector assessment

Confirm the correct service stream, project location, foreign-ownership position and any controlled-sector approval before preparing the application.

Step 2: Complete incorporation and core registrations

Ensure the company is incorporated and has its TIN, trade licence, project premises and foreign-equity evidence. Obtain VAT registration where applicable.

Step 3: Create or access the online investor account

Use BanglaBiz or the continuing investment OSS portal and follow the live link for industrial project registration. During the institutional transition, the interface may continue to carry former BIDA terminology.

Step 4: Select the correct service

Select industrial project registration for a 100% foreign-owned or joint-venture project. Do not select the foreign branch, liaison, representative or project office permission service unless that is the actual legal structure.

Step 5: Complete the project particulars

Enter the company, ownership, location, products or services, machinery, production capacity, employment, project cost, equity, loan and implementation information. Use one consistent unit and currency methodology throughout.

Step 6: Upload clear and current supporting documents

Upload legible documents in the required format and size. Where a document is not self-explanatory, include a concise cover note instead of leaving the reviewing officer to infer the connection.

Step 7: Submit and retain the tracking record

Review the declaration carefully, submit the application and retain the application ID, payment acknowledgement, uploaded set and every portal notification.

Step 8: Pay the prescribed fee

Follow the payment request generated through the portal. The registration fee is based on the proposed project investment and is subject to VAT.

Step 9: Respond promptly to any shortfall

If Invest Bangladesh requests clarification or additional evidence, answer the specific point, attach the corrected document and explain any change. Do not upload conflicting versions without a reconciliation note.

Step 10: Receive and verify the registration certificate

After approval, download the registration certificate and check the company name, location, activity, investment, machinery, ownership and other recorded conditions. Seek correction or amendment before relying on an inaccurate certificate for another regulatory application.

Industrial project registration fee

The published service time is one day, subject to submission of all required documents.

This is a service standard, not an unconditional guarantee. The practical timeline may be longer where:

• the application is incomplete;
• a sectoral NOC is pending;
• the project profile and portal figures conflict;
• the land, lease or trade-licence address is unclear;
• foreign-equity evidence is incomplete;
• the authority requests clarification or additional documents;
• the portal or institutional transition affects processing.

It can provide

• formal recognition of the registered investment project;
• access to investment facilitation and aftercare;
• a foundation for connected recommendations, approvals and incentive applications;
• a recorded baseline for the project's ownership, investment, machinery and capacity.

It does not automatically provide

• title to or permission to use land;
• building or construction approval;
• environmental clearance;
• fire licence or factory licence;
• import or export registration;
• customs or bonded-warehouse approval;
• VAT or income-tax exemption;
• permission to employ a foreign national;
• permission for a foreign loan;
• permission to remit royalty, technical fees or franchise fees;
• a sectoral operating licence.

This distinction is essential. Project registration is a gateway document, not a universal licence.

The legal and banking trail of foreign equity should be planned before the investment is remitted.

Bangladesh Bank's current FDI guidance states that:

• a foreign investor may open an NRTA for the proposed venture without prior Bangladesh Bank permission;
• foreign equity may be remitted through formal banking channels;
• prior Bangladesh Bank permission is generally not required merely to issue shares against qualifying foreign investment;
• after shares are issued to a non-resident and RJSC formalities are completed, the Foreign Exchange Investment Department of Bangladesh Bank must be informed through the authorised dealer bank within 14 days, under the GFET reporting framework;
• cash dividends, net of applicable tax, may generally be remitted to non-resident shareholders through an authorised dealer without prior Bangladesh Bank approval, subject to the governing rules and records.

Public-awareness warning

An encashment certificate proves receipt and conversion of foreign currency; it does not by itself complete company-law allotment or Bangladesh Bank reporting. The company should align:

1. the inward-remittance record;
2. the board and shareholder approvals;
3. the share allotment and RJSC filing;
4. the authorised dealer's Bangladesh Bank reporting; and
5. the project-registration records.

If these steps describe different investors, values or dates, future dividend or capital repatriation may become difficult.

The Foreign Private Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act, 1980 provides qualifying foreign private investment with statutory protection, including fair and equitable treatment, protection against expropriation or nationalisation except for a public purpose against compensation, and protection for the transfer of capital and returns, subject to applicable law.

These protections should not be read as a waiver of tax, company, foreign-exchange, licensing or documentation requirements. Repatriation remains dependent on the lawful investment trail, corporate approvals, tax compliance, valuation where applicable and authorised-dealer documentation.

Depending on the project, the next steps may include:

The registration should be amended where a material recorded fact changes, including, where applicable:

• company name;
• office or factory address;
• nature of investment or shareholding;
• investing country or investor details;
• type of industry;
• project investment or equity;
• machinery list;
• production or service capacity;
• commercial operation date;
• employment figures;
• merger or amalgamation.

The published amendment fee is BDT 1,000 plus 15% VAT, and the published service standard is three working days, subject to a complete application. The supporting documents depend on the amendment and may include a board resolution, updated RJSC form, revised trade licence, lease, machinery invoice, explanation and previous registration certificates.

Do not continue using a certificate that materially differs from the project's actual structure. The mismatch may affect import entitlement, work permits, financing, incentives or remittances.

1. Applying before choosing the correct route

A locally incorporated subsidiary, a foreign branch and an economic-zone unit do not follow identical approval routes.

2. Treating company incorporation as project registration

An RJSC Certificate of Incorporation proves that the company exists. It does not register its industrial project.

3. Treating project registration as an operating licence

Environmental, fire, factory, import-export, tax and sector licences remain separate.

4. Using an objects clause that does not cover the proposed activity

The project description should be legally supported by the memorandum and the relevant trade and sector licences.

5. Remitting foreign capital without a reporting plan

Using the wrong account, unclear remittance narration or inconsistent investor identity can complicate share allotment and repatriation.

6. Submitting inconsistent project cost

The investment figure should reconcile with land, building, machinery, pre-operating expenses, working capital, equity, loans and any project profile.

7. Ignoring controlled-sector approval

An application cannot cure a missing NOC that the governing policy or sector law requires.

8. Using stale corporate documents

The trade licence, TIN, RJSC forms, lease and director/shareholder information should reflect the current position.

9. Failing to amend the registration

A company may lawfully change its shareholding or address but still face regulatory difficulty if its investment certificate remains outdated.

Example: Foreign-owned food-processing plant outside an economic zone

A Singapore investor proposes a food-processing factory in Gazipur through a 100% foreign-owned Bangladeshi private limited company.

The investor should ordinarily:

1. confirm that the products and production process are permitted and identify any food, environment or other sector approvals;
2. open the appropriate temporary investment account and remit equity through an authorised dealer bank;
3. incorporate the Bangladeshi company with an objects clause covering food processing, packaging and related permitted activities;
4. obtain TIN, trade licence, VAT registration and lawful office/factory premises;
5. collect the encashment certificate and complete the share-allotment and reporting trail;
6. prepare the machinery list, project cost, capacity, employment and implementation plan;
7. apply for industrial project registration through the current Invest Bangladesh/legacy OSS route;
8. after registration, obtain the required environment, fire, factory, food-safety, import and other operational approvals.

If the same factory were located inside an Export Processing Zone or Hi-Tech Park, the authority and service stream would be different. If the investor intended only to import and trade finished food products, industrial project registration might not be the correct service at all.

Before submission, confirm that:

• the current authority and correct service route have been identified;
• the proposed activity is open to foreign investment;
• any controlled-sector NOC is available;
• the company has been incorporated and its objects cover the project;
• the shareholder names and percentages match all corporate and bank records;
• the foreign-capital remittance and encashment evidence are complete;
• the TIN and trade licence are current;
• the office and factory addresses match the lease, trade licence and application;
• Form VI and Form XII reflect the current RJSC position;
• project investment and financing figures reconcile;
• the machinery list, capacity and project profile are internally consistent;
• every uploaded file is clear, complete and correctly labelled;
• a complete copy of the application and payment record will be retained;
• a post-registration licensing plan has been prepared.

Foreign investment project registration in Bangladesh is not merely an online application. It is the point at which company law, foreign-exchange evidence, land and location, sector regulation, project finance and operational licensing are brought into one official record.

The creation of Invest Bangladesh on 20 August 2026 is a major institutional change. It has legally replaced BIDA and BEZA, while existing investor services continue during the transition to a more unified system. Investors should therefore use the current authority's legal name, follow the live digital route and remain alert to legacy BIDA terminology that may still appear on forms and guidance.

The strongest application is not the one with the largest bundle of documents. It is the one in which every document tells the same legal and financial story.

1. Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026 (official gazette PDF) (opens in a new tab)
2. Invest Bangladesh begins operations—Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, 23 August 2026 (opens in a new tab)
3. Invest Bangladesh foreign and joint-venture project services, documents, fees and timelines (opens in a new tab)
4. Invest Bangladesh official FAQ (opens in a new tab)
5. BanglaBiz unified business gateway (opens in a new tab)
6. Investment One-Stop Service portal (opens in a new tab)
7. Bangladesh Bank Foreign Direct Investment guidance (opens in a new tab)
8. Bangladesh Bank—promotion and protection of foreign investment (opens in a new tab)
9. National Industrial Policy, 2022 (opens in a new tab)