Entitlement
In Bangladesh, all entities are required to obtain trade license to operate commercially. Entities having more than one place of business must obtain a separate trade license from each respective City Corporation/City Council office. Essentially this is a document which certifies an entity is allowed to do business in the field specified in the license. Hence this can also be considered a business permit in Bangladesh. Trade licenses are governed by Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009 and Municipal Taxation Rules, 1986 in Bangladesh. There are three types of trade licenses in Bangladesh:
- General trade license
- Commercial trade license
- Manufacturing trade license
Trade licenses are renewable each year after 30 June and obtaining and renewing involves payment of government fees. Such fees will vary depending on area, type of business etc. Outlined below is the process of obtaining a trade license from Dhaka City Corporation. Similar processes will apply at other areas.
Required Information and Documents
| # | Documents |
| 1 | Application form |
| 2 | Rent/Lease agreement |
| 3 | Memorandum of association and articles of association (for company) |
| 4 | Certificate of Incorporation (for company) |
| 5 | Agreement of Partnership (for partnership business) |
| 6 | NID/Passport copy of owner/authorized person |
| 7 | Passport size photo of authorized person |
| 8 | A valid mobile number |
Process Steps
| # | Descriptions |
| Step 1 | Applicant needs to collect the prescribed application forms or can also apply for trade license through online whereas applicable |
| Step 2 | Applicant submits filled-in application form to the taxation officer along with all required supporting documents |
| Step 3 | Applicant also needs to deposit the schedules fees as prescribed by authority |
| Step 4 | Upon getting the application, Licensing Supervisor inspect and verify the application and documents |
| Step 5 | After meeting all criteria, authority will issue the trade license to the applicant |
ACE Advisory is one of the leading professional service firms in Bangladesh and can assist clients to obtain all types of trade licenses.
Written by – Anik Das & Iztihad
Date – 15 November 2021
