Bangladesh Bank (BB) has issued a circular to all Authorized Dealer (AD) banks instructing them to follow the newly framed Import Policy Order 2026-2029 for executing international trade transactions, providing major relief to businesses and general consumers.
The central bank's Foreign Exchange Policy Department-1 issued the circular today (Sunday), aligning banking operations with the Commerce Ministry's official gazette notification on the new import policy. The updated policy order came into immediate effect and will remain valid until December 31, 2029.
Under the revised regulations, industrial and commercial importers can now import all allowable goods through sales contracts without the requirement of opening Letters of Credit (LCs). The policy also introduces the Open Account payment method to streamline international trade procedures.
To support export-oriented industries and local supply chains, the policy enables exporters to procure production raw materials locally in Bangladeshi Taka through back-to-back LCs or on a Free-of-Cost (FoC) basis. Furthermore, provisions regarding Bonded Warehouse facilities have been updated to optimize raw material sourcing for exporters.
The BB instructed bank management to ensure strict compliance with foreign exchange regulations and the new policy framework, while requesting all stakeholders to take necessary operational measures immediately.