An Invest Bangladesh approved contact office for your foreign company
Open a liaison or representative office in Bangladesh and keep every step after approval on time. PayrollBangladesh prepares the parent company documents, files and follows up the Invest Bangladesh (formerly BIDA) application, and tracks the Bangladesh Bank notice, the RJSC filing and the initial remittance that follow.
Which Office Fits You
In Bangladesh a liaison office and a representative office go through the same Invest Bangladesh process, so the choice is about what you plan to do here. A contact office keeps you close to the market without trading, while the routes below suit companies that need to earn income or hire first.
Liaison Office
A contact point in Bangladesh for a parent company that is not yet trading here.
- Contact with partners, suppliers and customers
- Market information gathered for the parent
- Funded by the parent company by remittance
Representative Office
The same Invest Bangladesh route under a different name, for a company that wants to be represented locally.
- Same portal, committee and deadlines as a liaison office
- Activities set out in the Invest Bangladesh approval
- Staff employed with work permits
Trading in Bangladesh
When you need to sell, invoice or earn income locally, a contact office is not enough.
- A branch office carries on the parent business
- A private limited company trades in its own name
- See branch office setup or company registration
Staff Before an Office
When you need people in Bangladesh before any office is approved.
- An employer of record employs staff for you
- Payroll and statutory filings handled locally
- See employer of record in Bangladesh
How Office Setup Works
Setup runs in six stages, from checking that a contact office fits your plans to the steps Invest Bangladesh permission sets in motion. Three of those steps have fixed deadlines counted from the approval date, and each stage below names who leads it.
| Stage | What happens | Who leads |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Activity check | Confirm that a contact office fits what you plan in Bangladesh and that no local income is expected | You with PayrollBangladesh |
| 2. Parent documents | Board resolution, certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, audited accounts, directors, organogram and planned activities, attested abroad | You, with a checklist from PayrollBangladesh |
| 3. Invest Bangladesh application | Online application through the Invest Bangladesh OSS portal, then hard copies to the Invest Bangladesh Commercial Wing | PayrollBangladesh |
| 4. Committee approval | Review by the inter-ministerial committee, with initial approval for three years | Invest Bangladesh |
| 5. Bank and RJSC steps | Notice to Bangladesh Bank through your bank and an RJSC application for a certificate of filing, each within 30 days of Invest Bangladesh permission | PayrollBangladesh with your bank |
| 6. Initial remittance | Foreign exchange of at least US$50,000 brought in within two months of Invest Bangladesh approval | You, with PayrollBangladesh tracking |
Scope of Office Setup
PayrollBangladesh takes the paperwork and follow-up off your team, from the first activity check to the steps after approval. You keep the decisions on structure and activities, while PayrollBangladesh prepares, files and tracks each deadline.
- ✓Deadline control. Invest Bangladesh permission starts three clocks, the Bangladesh Bank notice, the RJSC filing and the initial remittance, and each one is tracked from the approval date.
- ✓One point of contact. One team prepares the documents, follows up with Invest Bangladesh and coordinates the bank and RJSC steps, so you do not manage several firms.
- ✓Ongoing compliance. After opening, the investment compliance service keeps the Invest Bangladesh approval, returns and head office remittances up to date.
- Approval decisions stay with Invest Bangladesh and the inter-ministerial committee.
- Government fees are paid as the authorities set them.
- The remittance comes from the parent company through your bank.
- Legal and tax advice comes from a qualified lawyer or adviser.
Guides for New Offices
A contact office is one option among several for entering Bangladesh. These pages help you compare the routes and plan the staffing that follows approval.
Compare Entity Types
A contact office next to a branch, a company and hiring through an employer of record. See foreign entity setup.
Branch Office Setup
The Invest Bangladesh route for a parent company that will carry on its business here. See branch office setup.
Entity Setup vs EOR
How an own office compares with hiring through an employer of record. See entity setup vs employer of record.
Work Permit Support
Foreign staff ratio, the Invest Bangladesh document list and the filing window after arrival. See work permit support.
Liaison Office Setup FAQs
These are the questions foreign companies ask most often before opening a liaison or representative office in Bangladesh. Each answer opens with the direct answer, and the rules come from the sources listed at the end of this section.
Is a liaison office the same as a representative office?
In Bangladesh, yes for approval purposes. Invest Bangladesh processes branch, liaison and representative offices through the same portal and the same inter-ministerial committee, so the name you use does not change the route or the deadlines.
What does liaison office setup cover?
It covers everything from checking that a contact office fits your plans to the steps after approval. PayrollBangladesh prepares the parent company documents, files and follows up the Invest Bangladesh application, and tracks the Bangladesh Bank notice, the RJSC filing and the initial remittance.
What can a liaison office do in Bangladesh?
It keeps contact and gathers information for the parent company, within the activities Invest Bangladesh approves. It does not trade or earn income in Bangladesh, and the parent company funds it by remittance, so a company that needs local income should look at a branch office or a private limited company.
Who approves a liaison or representative office?
Invest Bangladesh approves it after review by an inter-ministerial committee. The application goes through the Invest Bangladesh OSS portal, and hard copies of the documents follow to the Invest Bangladesh Commercial Wing.
How long is the approval valid?
Invest Bangladesh gives initial approval for three years. The approval date also starts the deadlines for the Bangladesh Bank notice, the RJSC filing and the initial remittance.
What must happen after Invest Bangladesh approval?
Invest Bangladesh lists three steps with deadlines counted from the approval:
- Notify Bangladesh Bank through your bank within 30 days, under Section 18B of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947.
- Apply to RJSC within 30 days for a certificate of filing.
- Bring in foreign exchange of at least US$50,000 within two months.
Which documents does the parent company provide?
Invest Bangladesh asks for documents attested by the Bangladesh mission in the parent company country or its apex business chamber. They include:
- A board resolution on opening the office.
- The certificate of incorporation and the memorandum and articles of association.
- Audited accounts for the last financial year.
- Names and nationality of the directors or owners.
- A proposed organogram and the planned activities in Bangladesh.
Can a liaison office employ foreign staff?
Yes, within a ratio and with work permits. Invest Bangladesh states that commercial offices can generally employ foreign nationals at 5 to 1 against local staff, and each foreign employee needs a work permit.
How long does setup take?
No fixed timeline is promised. It depends on how quickly parent documents are attested abroad and how long Invest Bangladesh and the committee take to review the application.
Who sees our company documents?
Only the people and authorities the filing needs. Documents are used to prepare and submit your application to Invest Bangladesh, RJSC or the bank concerned, and you can ask which documents will be shared before anything is submitted.
Can we switch from another setup provider?
Yes, PayrollBangladesh can review a setup that is already under way. Send the documents filed so far and the current status, and PayrollBangladesh confirms whether the application can continue or should start again.
What happens after I send an enquiry?
PayrollBangladesh starts with a short review in four steps:
- You share what you plan to do in Bangladesh.
- PayrollBangladesh confirms whether a contact office fits or another route is better.
- You receive a checklist of the parent company documents needed.
- Document preparation and the Invest Bangladesh application begin.
Does PayrollBangladesh approve applications or give legal advice?
No. Invest Bangladesh and the inter-ministerial committee decide every application, and legal or tax questions should be confirmed with a qualified lawyer or adviser.
Rules for liaison and representative offices
This summary is general information, not legal advice. Each rule comes from the page linked here, so check it is still current before you rely on it.
- Authority. Invest Bangladesh press release, 23 August 2026: Invest Bangladesh began operations on 23 August 2026, the first working day after the gazette notification under the Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026, formed through the merger of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and the Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA). The BIDA pages linked below remain the published source for these rules and are cited as such.
- Approval and deadlines. BIDA FAQ (now Invest Bangladesh): initial approval for three years; notice to Bangladesh Bank within 30 days through the bank under Section 18B of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947; RJSC application for a certificate of filing within 30 days; at least US$50,000 brought in within two months.
- Application route. BIDA commercial office registration (now Invest Bangladesh): branch, liaison and representative offices are processed through the OSS portal and approved by an inter-ministerial committee.
- Documents. BIDA office opening service (now Invest Bangladesh): parent company documents must be attested by the Bangladesh mission or the apex business chamber of the country concerned.
- Foreign staff. BIDA foreign worker ratios (now Invest Bangladesh): commercial offices can generally employ foreign nationals at 5:1.
- No local income. OGR Legal summary (law firm, not an official source): a liaison office is funded by inward remittance from the parent and does not earn income in Bangladesh, while a branch may earn local income within its approved activities.
Reviewed by Romana Akter Shila
Open a Liaison Office
Send what you plan to do in Bangladesh and where the parent company is registered. PayrollBangladesh reviews the details and replies with whether a contact office fits, the parent company documents needed and the next steps for starting the Invest Bangladesh application.