FEPD Circular 30/2026: Bangladesh import rules and AD bank controls

Summary: what changed?

On 13 August 2026, Bangladesh Bank issued FEPD-1 Circular No. 30 to consolidate foreign-exchange rules for import transactions, expressly replacing FE Circular No. 33 dated 14 August 2025 while preserving the reporting instructions in GFET Volume 2. Authorized Dealer (AD) banks must apply the new consolidated framework together with subsequent effective Bangladesh Bank directions and the Import Policy Order in force; the circular states a one-year validity period from its issuance.

Direct official source: FEPD-1 Circular No. 30, 13 August 2026 (Bangladesh Bank PDF), opening paragraphs 01–04. This page explains the framework; it does not modify the original circular.

Supersession and transition matrix

Active directive	Obsolete directive	Legal status	Core operational shift
FEPD-1 Circular 30/2026, issued 13 August 2026	FE Circular 33/2025, issued 14 August 2025	Expressly replaced by the 2026 consolidated import-FX circular. Its opening paragraph 02 also states the repeal of earlier instructions within the consolidation, subject to the stated exception.	Use the 2026 consolidated text as the principal import-FX reference instead of the 2025 consolidated compilation.
GFET Volume 2 reporting instructions	None: expressly excluded from the repeal	Retained, as stated in the preamble to Circular 30.	Preserve applicable GFET Volume 2 returns and reporting requirements alongside the circular's OIMS obligations.
Import Policy Order 2026–2029, paragraph 6(3), read with FEPD-1 Circular Letter 17 of 13 September 2026	Earlier commercial-import value ceilings under the previous IPO framework; no particular earlier clause is characterized here as separately repealed by Circular 30	Later operative import-policy framework, not a repeal of Circular 30's foreign-exchange controls. The bank letter is listed in the official BB register; obtain its Bangla original for clause-by-clause review.	Eligible industrial and commercial goods may be imported under purchase/sales contracts without an LC regardless of value, subject to applicable foreign-exchange regulations and the later IPO. Do not reapply a historical annual cap merely because Circular 30 predates the IPO.
FEPD-1 Circular 36/2026, 16 September 2026, concerning overdue local deliveries under back-to-back LCs	None: Part-G of Circular 30 remains relevant	Subsequent supplementary instruction, not a blanket replacement of Circular 30.	For the specified EDF context, consider the overdue test relating to local back-to-back delivery bills and the 270-day limit specified in Circular 36.

Transition rule: Circular 30 was dated 13 August 2026, before the Ministry of Commerce's Import Policy Order 2026–2029 dated 24 August 2026 and Bangladesh Bank's 13 September 2026 implementing letter. Therefore, its references to commercial non-LC imports within an IPO-prescribed value limit must be interpreted with the later operative IPO, while the separate banking obligations in Circular 30 continue to require compliance. Bangladesh Bank circular register · Import Policy Order 2026–2029 reading hub.

Scope and application

Regulated area	Circular 30 reference	AD bank application
Importer registration and foreign-exchange compliance	Part-A, paragraphs 2–4	Establish CCI&E registration or a recognized exemption; check legality under the IPO and related foreign-exchange and AML/CFT rules.
OIMS submission	Part-A, paragraphs 5–6	Capture primary import details and submit applicable OIMS information. For LCs covered by the large-import provision, perform the specified 24-hour advance reporting (the paragraph uses a USD 3 million threshold and excludes government imports).
Product identification and price checks	Part-A, paragraphs 7 and 12	Verify the commercial price, goods specification, counterparties and the correct eight-digit HS code in the PI/indent and LC or contract.
IMP forms and import evidence	Part-A, paragraph 8; Part-B, paragraphs 13–17	Obtain and reconcile the relevant IMP declaration and customs Bill of Entry/electronic evidence; apply prescribed follow-up and exception handling.
LC establishment and documents	Part-B, paragraphs 3 and 6	Use documentary LCs and verify the underlying firm order, documentary requirements and applicable supplier credit report procedures.
Imports under purchase/sales contracts	Part-C, paragraph 1	Confirm admissibility, supplier due diligence, cash flows, maturity tracking and whether the transaction is sight/DP or qualifies for usance.
Supplier's and buyer's credit, including back-to-back imports	Part-D, paragraph 1; Part-G	Apply the specific eligible category and tenor, not a single universal term; determine back-to-back tenor with reference to relevant export-proceeds rules.

Mandatory verification checklist for Authorized Dealer banks

Identify the operative instruments. Record Circular 30/2026, later applicable Bangladesh Bank instructions, IPO 2026–2029 and its amendments, and any relevant NBR/sectoral control. Legal basis: Circular 30 opening paragraphs 02–04; Part-A paragraphs 1–2.
Verify importer status. Check IRC or legal exemption, importer identity, account relationship, beneficial ownership and relevant AML/CFT screening. Legal basis: Part-A paragraphs 4 and 9; general risk obligations under Part-A paragraph 2.
Classify the goods. Review the exact goods description, brand/grade, quantity, unit, transport terms and eight-digit HS code; refer doubtful classifications to Customs. Legal basis: Part-A paragraphs 7 and 12.
Check product importability and permissions. Apply the IPO in force, restricted/prohibited-goods conditions, and relevant product-specific NOCs or certificates where actually required. Legal basis: Part-A paragraphs 1–2 and 7; IPO and competent-authority instruments.
Verify the underlying instrument. Obtain the PI/indent/firm order/purchase or sales contract; identify LC, DP, DA, permissible non-LC contract or other approved settlement arrangement. Legal basis: Part-A paragraph 5(a); Part-B paragraphs 3 and 6; Part-C paragraph 1.
Verify counterparties and price. Check exporter legitimacy and current comparable market price, and obtain a supplier credit report when the relevant circular conditions apply. Legal basis: Part-A paragraph 7; Part-B paragraph 6; Part-C paragraph 1(1)(c).
Confirm any applicable usance or credit facility. For commercial non-LC imports, read Part-C paragraph 1(4) together with the later IPO; for industrial raw materials, spares, vessels and other eligible goods use the relevant Part-D category. Confirm financing, maturity and any overdue position; do not presume universal approval for 60, 270 or 360 days.
Complete OIMS controls. Submit primary information, flag non-LC imports appropriately, and observe Part-A paragraph 6 for qualifying large LCs. Retain evidence of submission. Legal basis: Part-A paragraphs 5–6.
Document the payment and post-import audit trail. Complete IMP formalities, annotate relevant invoices and reconcile Bill of Entry and settlement records; escalate delayed or missing documents under the applicable provisions. Legal basis: Part-A paragraph 8; Part-B paragraphs 13–17; Part-C paragraph 1(5).
Apply additional back-to-back and EDF controls where relevant. Review Part-G and subsequent Circular 36/2026 in its defined EDF context; never extrapolate one tenor across all import categories.

Operational interpretation: non-LC imports after the 2026 IPO

Import eligibility, foreign-exchange payment authorization and credit availability are three distinct decisions. A contract-based import permitted by IPO paragraph 6(3) does not, on its own, eliminate Part-C due diligence, OIMS reporting, maturity controls, payment documentation or an applicable requirement for Bangladesh Bank approval.

Part-C paragraph 1(4) of Circular 30 gives general permission for up to 60 days of usance for qualifying commercial imports without LCs, separate from the specifically eligible facilities in Part-D paragraph 1(1). It does not mean every commercial importer is automatically entitled to any tenor, and it should not be confused with unrestricted open-account settlement. Read the complete Circular 30.

Contextual tools for a transaction review

FAQs

Which previous circular did FEPD-1 Circular 30/2026 replace?

It expressly replaced the consolidated FE Circular No. 33 dated 14 August 2025. The preamble preserves the reporting instructions contained in GFET Volume 2.

Can commercial importers import without an LC under the 2026 Import Policy Order?

Paragraph 6(3) of the subsequent Import Policy Order 2026–2029 permits admissible industrial and commercial goods to be imported under purchase or sales contracts without an LC irrespective of value, subject to foreign-exchange requirements. This does not automatically authorize every payment or tenor.

Is a 60-day usance period automatically available for every non-LC import?

No. Part-C paragraph 1(4) provides general permission for up to 60 days for eligible commercial non-LC imports, subject to the operative Import Policy Order, subsequent instructions, and the transaction-specific conditions in the circular.

Official references and verification record

Bangladesh Bank, FEPD-1 Circular No. 30, 13 August 2026 — complete primary PDF: preamble paragraphs 01–04; Part-A paragraphs 1–12; Part-B paragraphs 3, 6 and 13–17; Part-C paragraph 1; Part-D paragraph 1; Part-G.
Bangladesh Bank, official circular register: lists FEPD-1 Circular Letter No. 17, 13 September 2026, on the Import Policy Order 2026–2029. The Bangla document should be retrieved for authoritative paragraph-level interpretation; this page does not present an unverified direct-PDF URL.
Bangladesh Bank, FEPD-1 Circular No. 36, 16 September 2026 — primary PDF: supplemental EDF-related overdue determination for local back-to-back deliveries.
Ministry of Commerce, Import Policy Order 2026–2029, paragraph 6(3): check the operative Bangla Gazette and subsequent amendments. TradeFinanceBD reading and source hub.

Editorial verification (4 November 2026): The statutory supersession and the cited provisions of Circular 30 were checked against Bangladesh Bank's English original. The existence and title of Circular Letter 17 were checked against Bangladesh Bank's circular register; its detailed Bangla text was not independently inspected in this review. This is a transition-analysis page, distinct from the existing full circular reading workspace. Recheck subsequent instructions before an AD bank acts on a specific transaction.