The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 11 service-providing institutions to integrate them into its One-Stop Service (OSS) portal, aiming to make business operations faster, more transparent, and dynamic for both domestic and foreign investors.
The signing ceremony took place on Monday at the BIDA conference room in Agargaon, Dhaka. BIDA Executive Chairman (with the rank of State Minister) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun attended the event as the chief guest, while Executive Member Air Commodore (retd.) Md. Shaharul Huda presided over the program.
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The 11 new partners include four major banks and seven city corporations:
Banks: Rupali Bank PLC, Dhaka Bank PLC, Bank Asia PLC, and Bengal Commercial Bank PLC.
City Corporations: Rajshahi, Khulna, Mymensingh, Barishal, Cumilla, Gazipur, and Narayanganj.
Under these agreements, these institutions will link their internal systems with BIDA’s online OSS platform. This integration will allow investors to open bank accounts, obtain trade licenses, and access various financial and municipal services through a single digital window, eliminating the need for physical visits and reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
Speaking at the event, Ashik Chowdhury emphasized BIDA's long-term goal of creating a "single-entry" system.
"Our objective is to reach a stage where everyone from small entrepreneurs to large industrial groups can access all necessary government services through a single website and a single login," he said.
"We want to move away from the culture of submitting the same data repeatedly to different departments," he added.
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BIDA Executive Chairman noted that developed nations have successfully implemented data-sharing across government agencies, and Bangladesh is following that path. While acknowledging that the journey is time-consuming, he stressed the importance of constant monitoring and feedback to ensure the system actually solves problems for investors.
According to BIDA, the online OSS portal was launched in February 2019 under the One-Stop Service Act, 2018. With the addition of these 11 institutions, BIDA has now signed MoUs with a total of 63 organizations.
Currently, the portal offers 142 services from 47 different agencies. To date, 215,699 applications have been successfully processed through the system. BIDA officials stated that services from more organizations will be integrated into the platform in the near future.
BIDA provides 147 services through One Stop Service (OSS) includes-
Business Setup & Registration: Company Registration, incorporation from the RJSC (Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms).
BIDA Project Registration, Issuance of e-TIN (Tax Identification Number) and e-BIN (Business Identification Number) via the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Issuance and renewal of trade licenses from various City Corporations.
Specific services designed to help international businesses operate in Bangladesh. Such as Work Permits: Issuance, extension, and cancellation of work permits for foreign employees.
Visa Recommendations: Support for E-visas (Employment), PI-visas (Investor), and Visa on Arrival.
Branch/Liaison Office Permits: Permission to set up and extend the duration of representative offices.
Remittance Approvals: Approval for royalty, franchise, and technical assistance fee payments abroad.
Land Use Clearance: Provided by authorities like RAJUK (Dhaka) or CDA (Chattogram).
Construction Permits: Approval for building plans and occupancy certificates.
E-Mutation: Digital land record updates via the Ministry of Land.
Utility Connections- electricity from DPDC, DESCO, BREB, and BPDB.
Water & Sewerage: Industrial water connection permits from WASA.
Environment Clearance: Issuance of Site Clearance and Environmental Clearance Certificates (for green, orange, and red categories) from the Department of Environment.