Foreign Direct Investment in Bangladesh

The practice advises and provides practical legal solutions to clients in local and cross-border transactions, and offers a dedicated, dynamic and experienced team of lawyers and legal professional who have a good understanding of the evolving regulatory and business environment.

The team is familiar with cross cultural issues in regional and international business transactions, having as part of its team lawyers and legal professionals from different jurisdictions.

1.Corporate Secretarial:

a)Incorporation of public and private companies (Name Clearance Certificate, Memorandum of Association and Article of Association, Board Minutes, Filing and Incorporation Certificate), BOI registration, T.I.N. Certificate, VAT Registration, Trade License, Income Tax Assessment and Returns filing, Customs and Duty affairs, Tax privileges, Cash incentive, Tax exemption applications etc., Chamber of Commerce membership, Import Registration Certificate (IRC), Export Registration Certificate (ERC), Expatriate employee support (Visa, BOI work permit, etc.), Land acquisition (If needed), Utilities (Gas, Electricity and Water if needed).

b)Registration of branch offices and partnerships.

c)Preparation and attendance at shareholder and directors meetings.

d)Preparation of resolutions and minutes of meeting.

e)Acting as company secretaries.

f)Providing advice and support relating to legal and regulatory compliance and corporate governance.

g)Mergers, acquisitions and disposals

2.Commercial Agreements:

a) Sale of goods
b) Distributions agreements
c) Agency services agreements
d) Licensing agreements
e) Franchise agreements
f) Joint venture agreements
g) Collaboration agreements
h) Technical assistance agreements

3. Trademarks, Designs and Patents:
a) Identification of intellectual property rights.
b) Trademarks, Designs and Patents searches in Bangladesh
c) Registration of Trademarks, Designs and Patents in Bangladesh
d) Management of intellectual property portfolio
e) Licensing of intellectual property
f) Enforcement of intellectual property rights against infringers
g) International anti-counterfeit programmes
h) Resolving disputes over conflicting trademarks and domain names
i) Clearance of new trademarks for use in multiple jurisdictions
j) Protection of trademarks

4. Commercial Litigation:
a) Claims under guarantees and indemnities
b) Contractual disputes
c) Company law
d) Debt and receivable recovery
e) Defamation (liable and slander)
f) Directors duties
g) Hearing before various tribunals and courts including Supreme Court of Bangladesh
h) Insolvency of corporations and individuals
i) Insurance
j) Intellectual property
k) International and domestic arbitration
l) Landlord and tenant
m) Medical negligence
n) Property disputes
o) Sale and purchase of companies and assets
p) Sale of goods
q) Shareholder and partnership disputes

5. Labour and Employment:
a) Employment contracts drafting and vetting
b) Employee Code of conduct
c) HR policy drafting
d) Hiring and firing issues
e) Tribunals and Courts representation
f) Gratuity, provident fund, benevolent fund etc
g) Vicarious liability

Principal industries in Bangladesh: Readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, cements, garment accessories, chemicals, fertilizers, newsprint, leather and leather goods, paper, sugar, jute, ship building.
Principal exports in Bangladesh: Readymade garments, frozen foods (shrimps), leather, leather products, jute, jute products, tea, ceramic, textile fabrics, home textile, chemical product, light engineering products including bi-cycle.
Principal seasonal crops and fruits in Bangladesh: Paddy, jute, wheat, tobacco, pulses, oil seeds, spices, vegetables, jack-fruit, banana, mango, coconut, pineapple etc.
Natural resources in Bangladesh: Natural gas, coal, lime, white clay, granite, glass sand.
6.Export Processing Zones:
Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are export oriented industrial enclaves which provide the infrastructures, the facilities, administrative and support services for a wide variety of enterprises. Bangladesh’s highly successful EPZs in Dhaka and Chittagong are now complemented by new EPZ developments and other valuable real estate developments around the country.

The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) is the official organ of the government to promote, attract and facilitate foreign investment in the Export Processing Zones. The primary objective of an EPZ is to provide special areas where potential investors would find a congenial investment climate, and location free from cumbersome procedures. Businesses from 32 countries have so far invested in the existing zones.