Investing from the United Kingdom

Investing in Bangladesh from the United Kingdom

In short

A British company entering Bangladesh usually does so through a private limited company registered with the RJSC, a branch or liaison office permitted by BIDA, or by acquiring an interest in an existing Bangladeshi company. British groups tend to arrive with their own compliance requirements attached — anti-bribery, sanctions and reporting obligations that follow the parent — and these have to be satisfied alongside Bangladeshi law, not instead of it.

Route at a glance

Source market: the United Kingdom
Destination law: Bangladesh corporate, investment, tax and exchange-control rules.
Treaty position: Confirmed on your facts before it is stated.
Where advice is delivered: From Dhaka. No global-office claim.

Key takeaways

A British group's own compliance obligations follow it into Bangladesh and shape how the subsidiary is structured and supervised.
The Bribery Act and the group's sanctions and reporting obligations are satisfied alongside Bangladeshi law, not instead of it.
Acquiring an interest in an existing Bangladeshi company raises different questions from forming a new one, and diligence is where they surface.
How profits leave Bangladesh depends on how the investment came in and was recorded.

Tax treaty position between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom

Whether a double taxation agreement applies to your position, and what it gives you, depends on the structure and on the agreement in force at the time. We confirm the current position against the National Board of Revenue's own list for your facts rather than stating a general rule here, because a treaty summary that has gone out of date is worse than none.

The guide chapter on double taxation agreements and foreign tax implications sets out how the regime works.

Setting up, according to BIDA

A branch, liaison, representative or project office must bring in foreign exchange equivalent to US$50,000 or more within two months of BIDA approval.: It is a deadline that starts on approval rather than on opening, and it is missed by groups who treat approval as the finish line.
A company is registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC&F) through the BIDA One Stop Service: name clearance, verification of the capital deposit, office address, documents, fees, then tax and trade registrations.: The order is fixed. Capital has to be in and evidenced before the registration completes.
The employer applies for an expatriate work permit through BIDA OSS, and must submit the application and documents including a copy of the appropriate visa within 15 days of the expatriate arriving.: Fifteen days from arrival, and the duty is the employer's rather than the individual's.

Source: Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, investment FAQ, read 3 August 2026. Rules change; check the current position before acting.

Taking money out, according to BIDA

Registered investors may repatriate invested capital, profit and dividend, and may remit royalties and franchise, technical licence, know-how and technical assistance fees.: The permission exists; what governs it in practice is how the investment was brought in and recorded.
Dividend and profit income, both final and interim, may be remitted to non-resident shareholders through an authorised dealer. A branch of a foreign company may remit post-tax profits to its head office the same way.: An authorised dealer bank is the route in both cases, and it will ask for the evidence the route requires.
A foreign national employed in Bangladesh may remit up to 80% of monthly salary, after deducting admissible expenses, savings and retirement benefits, through an authorised dealer.: It is a ceiling on the monthly figure, not on the total, and it is worth knowing before an employment package is agreed.

Source: Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, investment FAQ and incentives, read 3 August 2026. Rules change; check the current position before acting.

What British clients ask us for

Sectors we see most from the United Kingdom

The detail, from our Bangladesh guide

The law is the same wherever the investor is from. These are the chapters that matter most on the way in, in the order they arise.

Common questions

What does a UK parent need to consider before setting up in Bangladesh?

Two things at once: what Bangladeshi law requires of the new entity, and what the group's own obligations require of it — anti-bribery, sanctions, and the reporting the parent must make. Structuring that satisfies one and ignores the other creates a problem that surfaces at audit.

Can a UK company acquire a Bangladeshi company outright?

Foreign acquisition is permitted in most sectors, subject to the restrictions that apply to that sector and to exchange control on how the price is paid. What matters most is diligence: the liabilities of a Bangladeshi target are frequently in its tax, labour and licensing position rather than its accounts.

Does Bangladesh recognise a UK court judgment?

Enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Bangladesh follows its own rules, and the answer is different for a judgment than for an award. This is decided when the contract is drafted, not when the dispute arises.

Please note. This is general information about doing business in Bangladesh, not legal advice, and no solicitor–client relationship arises from reading it. Law, policy and treaty positions change; take advice on your own facts before acting.