In a significant step towards improving the country’s business climate and easing local business approvals, the government is moving to gradually integrate trade licence services of city corporations and municipalities with the national investment service system.
The initiative will allow entrepreneurs to apply for trade licences, pay fees, complete renewals, obtain approvals and track application progress through online platforms, reducing the need for repeated visits to local offices and cutting delays in service delivery.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury recently disclosed the plan in parliament, saying the government is also taking a series of measures to strengthen investor confidence, including expanding bilateral investment treaties and updating and ensuring effective implementation of double taxation avoidance agreements.
“The effectiveness and implementation progress of existing agreements will be reviewed regularly. Plug and Play industrial facility packages will be introduced in selected industrial and economic zones. Under this arrangement, land, infrastructure, electricity, gas, water and road connectivity, along with initial approvals, will be prepared in advance in a coordinated manner, enabling entrepreneurs to set up factories and begin production quickly,” he said.
The government also plans to simplify investment-related inter-agency approval, verification and consultation processes, making their progress fully traceable online.
The minister further said the security clearance process for foreign employees will also be made online and time-bound.
“This will reduce unnecessary delays while ensuring that essential security checks are properly completed,” he added.
The minister’s commitment came following the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and 11 institutions in January 2026 to bring them under its One Stop Service (OSS) portal.
The MoUs were signed with four banks and seven city corporations. The banks are-Rupali Bank PLC, Dhaka Bank PLC, Bank Asia PLC and Bengal Commercial Bank PLC, while the city corporations include Rajshahi, Khulna, Mymensingh, Barishal, Cumilla, Gazipur and Narayanganj.
Under the MoUs, the respective banks and city corporations will integrate their systems with BIDA’s OSS platform, enabling investors to access services such as opening bank accounts, obtaining trade licences and accessing financial and city corporation-related services in a faster, more transparent and hassle-free manner.
With the latest additions, the total number of institutions integrated with the OS0S portal has risen to 52.
