Bangladesh: Business/trade

Commercial holidays

Language Martyrs' Day: February 21; Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birthday: March 17; Independence Day: March 26; Bengali New Year: April 14; May Day: May 1; Shab e-Barat (varies); Jumatul Bidah (varies); Night of Destiny (varies); Eid ul-Fitr (varies); National Mourning Day: August 15; Janmashtami (varies); Eid ul-Adha (varies); Ashura (varies); Eid e-Milad-un Nabi (varies); Victory Day: December 16; Christmas Day: December 25.

For more information on specific holidays, see Bangladesh Public & Bank Holidays.

Public holiday celebrations may cause delays in commercial transport of goods. It is best to check with your agent in the country about the extent of business stoppage during holidays.

For information on holidays worldwide, see: Holidays and Observances around the World.

(Last updated on 2024-01-01)

Major trade agreements

• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
  • Objective: to strengthen cooperation among SAARC member countries.
  • Member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

• Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Bldg., Rajadamnern Nok Ave., TH-10200 Bangkok, Thailand; phone: 662 288 1234; fax: 662 288 1000
  • ESCAP is a regional commission under the administrative direction of the United Nations. ESCAP promotes cooperation among its member countries in order to achieve sustainable social and economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • 53 member countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, France, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.
  • 9 associate members: American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, Macao, New Caledonia, Niue, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

• Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), previously known as the Bangkok Agreement.
  • APTA is a regional preferential trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region initiated by the United Nation's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The agreement aims to promote economic development through trade liberalization measures contributing to regional trade expansion and economic integration.
  • ESCAP functions as the Secretariat to the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). APTA is open to all developing member countries of ESCAP; currently there are seven participating countries.
  • Member countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Mongolia, South Korea, Laos, and Sri Lanka.

• Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), formerly known as the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC): IORA Secretariat, 3rd Floor, Tower I, NeXTeracom Building, Cybercity, Ebene, Mauritius; phone: +230 454 1717; fax: +230 468 1161; email: hq@iora.net
• IORA was formed in 1995. Members of the IORA are countries that literally mostly form the coastal rim of the Indian Ocean. The IORA strives toward trade liberation and further promotes socio-economic cooperation among the countries of the Indian Ocean Rim.
• 23 member countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
• 10 dialogue partners: China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

• Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
  • Purpose: to safeguard the interests of the Muslim world, it organization promotes international peace and harmony between various populations across the globe.
  • 57 member countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Rep., Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

• Free Trade Agreements (FTA) (by country/economy)
  • Scroll down and select "Bangladesh".

For additional information on trade agreements and rules of origin see: Rules of Origin Facilitator.

(Last updated on 2024-04-12)

Other treaties/conventions

• World Trade Organization (WTO), Center William Rappard, Rue de Lausanne 154, CH-1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland; phone: +41 22 739 5111; fax: +41 22 731 4206; email: enquiries@wto.org
  • Check list of all Regional Trade Agreements (RTA).
• World Customs Organization (WCO), Rue du Marché 30 B-1210 Brussels, Belgium; phone: +32 2 209 9211; fax: +32 2 209 9262
• Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP), The United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand; phone: +66 2 288 1234; fax: +66 2 288 1000
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Headquarters, 34 chemin des Colombettes, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland; phone: +41 22 338 9111; fax: +41 22 733 5428
• Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), Secretariat, International Environment House, 11 Chemin des Anémones, CH-1219 Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland; phone: +41 22 917 8139, and +41 22 917 8140; fax: +41 22 797 3417; email: info@cites.org
• The Commonwealth of Nations, Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, United Kingdom; phone: +44 20 7747 6500; fax: +44 20 7930 0827
• World Health Organization (WHO), Headquarters, Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses (FOS), World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland; fax: +41 22 791 4807; email: foodsafety@who.int
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Education Outreach Cluster, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information, UN Headquarters, New York, NY 10017
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Headquarters, 999 Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, Montréal, Quebec H3C 5H7, Canada; phone: +1 514 954 8219; fax: +1 514 954 6077; email: icaohq@icao.int
• International Maritime Organization (IMO), 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom; phone: +44 20 7735 7611; fax +44 20 7587 3210; email: info@imo.org
• Universal Postal Union (UPU), Universal Postal Union, International Bureau, P.O. Box 312, 3000 Berne 15, Switzerland; phone: +41 31 350 3111; fax: +41 31 350 3110
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Place des Nations, 1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland; phone: +41 22 730 5111; fax: +41 22 733 7256; email: itumail@itu.int
• International Labour Organization (ILO), 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211, Genève 22, Switzerland; phone: +41 22 799 6111; fax: +41 22 798 8685; email: ilo@ilo.org
• United Nations, New York, USA and Geneva, Switzerland.

(Last updated on 2022-12-30)

Government trade information

Bangladesh National Portal:

• Bangladesh Customs Website
• See this customs webpage for a list of Bangladeshi Custom Houses' contact information.
• National Board of Revenue (NBR), Customs Duty/Import Tax Collection; phone: +880 2 831 8180; fax: +880 2 831 6143
• Ministry of Finance, Finance Division, Secretariat, Bhaban No. 7, 3rd Floor, BD-1000 Dhaka; phone: +880 2 811 2641; fax: +880 2 716 5581
• Ministry of Commerce, Secretariat, Bhaban No. 3, First Floor, BD-1000 Dhaka; phone: +880 2 954 5006; fax: +880 2 954 0213; email: secy@mincom.gov.bd
• Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh, Ministry of Commerce, 1 Kawran Bazar (2nd & 4th Floor), BD-1215 Dhaka; phone: +88 02 914 4821; fax: +88 02 911 9531; email: info@epb.gov.bd
• Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), 116/A Tejgaon Industrial Area, BD-Dhaka-1208; phone: +880 2 887 0275; fax: +880 2 913 1581; email: bsti@bangla.net
  • See ISO membership.
• Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, Level 12, Probashi Kalyan Bhaban 71-72, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka-1000; phone: +880 2 551 38000; email: info@bfsa.gov.bd

(Last updated on 2023-12-29)

Additional trade information

Refer to updated IMF Country Report.

Bangladesh Trade Portal

(Last updated on 2019-07-23)

Traveler requirements (visas, samples, etc.)

A visa is required for visits to Bangladesh by citizens of most countries. See overview of Bangladesh Visa Requirements.

For detailed information contact:

• High Commission for Bangladesh, 28 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5JA; phone: +44 20 7584 0081; fax: +44 20 7581 7477; email: bhclondon@btconnect.com
• Embassy of Bangladesh, 3510 International Dr., NW, Washington, D.C. 20008; phone: +1 202 244 0183, ext: 320, or 307; fax: +1 202 244 2771; email: consularwing@bdembassyusa.org

For worldwide visa requirements see: Travel Visa Requirements.

(Last updated on 2018-09-19)

Business customs

Bangladeshi businessmen are usually very courteous. Foreign visitors often find that hosting small meals for their Bangladeshi agents, representatives, or business contacts helps to smooth business negotiations. Visitors may also be invited to share meals as guests of their Bangladeshi hosts.

Business people in Bangladesh avoid using "no" when answering questions. So they will replace "no" with nicer alternative words or phrases like "maybe". These alternate variations of "no" may be misinterpreted by foreigners. If it seems that "no" is being implied, a foreigner may rephrase the question in several different ways as a means to decipher what the unclear response actually meant.

For business customs check Cultural Guide - Bangladesh and Management Guide - Bangladesh; also check Culture Crossing in Bangladesh.

(Last updated on 2019-03-19)