Bangladesh Plans One-Stop Trade Licence Portal

Bangladesh plans to introduce a unified online portal for issuing trade licences and coordinated, same-day inspections by multiple government agencies to reduce the time, cost and administrative burden of doing business. The government is also seeking to simplify work-permit and security-clearance renewals for foreign employees. If implemented, the initiatives could reduce the need for businesses to visit separate offices and accommodate repeated inspections by different agencies.

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir outlined the proposals at the first meeting of the National Task Force on Deregulation and Business Facilitation on Saturday, October 17, at the Finance Division conference room in the Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Participants reviewed initiatives and implementation progress across ministries and agencies aimed at lowering business costs, removing unnecessary controls and restrictions, simplifying administrative procedures and improving conditions for domestic and foreign investment.

Muktadir said union parishads, municipalities and city corporations currently issue trade licences through separate systems. The government is working to bring these arrangements under a unified online portal.

Under the proposed system, businesses would be able to submit documents, apply and pay the prescribed fees through a single portal, allowing them to obtain trade licences without visiting multiple offices.

The government is also considering extending licence validity and replacing the existing trade licence with a “Business Registration Certificate” or a similar document. The changes are expected to reduce delays and administrative complications.

A coordinated inspection system is also planned under the leadership of Invest Bangladesh. Inspections by multiple agencies covering building safety, fire safety and environmental requirements would be conducted on the same day rather than at separate times.

Under the proposal, representatives of Invest Bangladesh and the relevant agencies would conduct joint inspections on a prearranged date. This could reduce repeated visits to the same business premises and save time and money for companies.

The meeting was informed that five priority sectors had initially been identified for addressing delays in business and investment approvals, permits and licences, as well as overlapping activities among agencies. Work has begun to review existing obstacles and simplify approval procedures in these sectors, with plans to expand the initiative gradually.

The commerce minister also raised concerns about the existing procedures for renewing work permits and security clearances for foreign employees.

He said foreign nationals come to Bangladesh to work for legally registered businesses. These companies pay taxes regularly, and their managing directors and directors are also legal citizens of the country. He said it was unacceptable for unreasonable complications to arise in security-clearance renewals when companies had submitted applications and the required certifications and accepted responsibility for their employees.

Muktadir called for discussions and coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs to make work-permit and security-clearance renewals for foreign employees simpler, more transparent and more effective.

He said unnecessary restrictions, lengthy approval procedures and a lack of coordination among government agencies must be addressed. Relevant authorities need to work together to make public services easier for investors while ensuring transparency, accountability and efficiency.

Task force members attending the meeting included Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo; Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir; Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman; and Invest Bangladesh Chairman Ashik Chowdhury.

Also present were the chairmen of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC); the secretary of the Finance Division; the secretary of the Ministry of Shipping; the president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI); the registrar of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC); and senior officials, including the additional secretary of the Finance Division’s Macroeconomics Wing.

The meeting emphasised administrative reform, expansion of digital services and stronger coordination among relevant agencies to make business and investment services faster, more accessible and more effective.

//DBTech/BSS/SMP/MIST//