BANGLADESH · PRACTICAL TRADE GUIDES

Guide to Import

From business registration and product checks to customs release, payment and bank-file closure. This is the ordinary goods-import journey; zone enterprises, samples, temporary imports and special schemes need their own route.

Choose the right import route before ordering

Start with three separate questions: may these goods enter Bangladesh; which agency conditions apply; and how may the payment be settled? An import-policy permission does not replace the bank’s foreign-exchange checks. Confirm whether the transaction is an ordinary commercial import, industrial own-use import, zone transaction or special scheme.

Under Circular 30 Part C paragraph 1(4), D/P is the regular commercial contract route, with general permission for up to 60 days’ usance for admissible commercial imports, subject to the applicable provisions and other eligible facilities. The IPO’s use of “open account” should not be treated as a standalone BB operational approval. Ask the AD to identify the exact settlement authority for the chosen arrangement.

References: Current IPO implementation · BB Circular 30

01 Establish the importer

Select the relevant commercial or industrial IRC service in CCI&E’s OLM. Complete the current registration, renewal or amendment requirements for your entity. Keep business identity, tax/VAT information and bank details consistent. Registration attachments and shipment documents are separate checklists.

Sources: CCI&E Online Licensing Module

02 Identify the goods and applicable conditions

Confirm the Bangladesh tariff line, description, composition, use, condition and origin. Read the current Import Policy Order with amendments, and the product’s agency measures. Record the exact provision and why it applies before ordering. A broad commodity name is insufficient for a product-specific clearance decision.

Check HS & goods in the portal · Read IPO amendment references · IPO 2026–2029 English working translation

Sources: Import Policy Order: BB implementation, 13 September 2026 · Customs Import Export Hub

03 Agree the commercial terms

Build a transaction checklist: specification, quantity, price, Incoterm and named place, shipment schedule, insurance responsibility, payment terms and required certificates. Obtain the pro forma invoice or contract and calculate landed cost, including port and handling estimates. Confirm that the intended customs point can handle the goods and required inspection.

Sources: Customs: general documents · Customs Import Export Hub

04 Obtain product permissions before the relevant event

Use the HS-specific measures to identify permits, certificates, tests and issuing agencies. Apply through BSW where that service is available; otherwise follow the responsible agency’s route. Select the correct CLP type and trade direction, attach evidence, answer queries and retain the issued certificate. Check validity, quantity, importer and product details against the shipment.

Sources: Bangladesh Single Window · BSW CLP submission manual (2024)

05 Agree the banking and payment route

Your Authorized Dealer (AD) bank should confirm the applicable LC or permitted contract route, reporting, funding and payment maturity. Non-LC imports under Circular 30 Part C have eligibility, supplier-credit and reporting conditions; they are not a universal permission for every importer or product. Financing availability does not establish import eligibility.

Sources: Bangladesh Bank: FE Circular 30, 13 August 2026

06 Ship and assemble the clearance file

Reconcile the commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, origin evidence and applicable permits with the order and bank arrangement. Arrange insurance evidence where required. Check consignee, marks, quantity and product description before dispatch. Obtain any product-specific inspection or health documents at the prescribed stage.

Sources: Customs: general documents

07 Declare, assess and release

The importer or authorized clearing agent submits the Bill of Entry and supporting documents through the applicable customs process. Resolve classification, value, origin, permit or examination queries, pay assessed amounts and obtain release. Preserve the declaration, assessment, duty-payment and release evidence; investigate differences between declared and received goods.

Sources: Customs clearance process

08 Settle and close the bank file

Pay or fund liabilities at the agreed maturity. Submit authenticated Bill of Entry evidence and reconcile it with IMP and invoice particulars. Circular 30 Part B paragraph 14 uses different four-month triggers: remittance for ordinary payments, acceptance for supplier’s credit, and the foreign lender’s payment for buyer’s/external credit. Track the correct trigger with the AD; resolve shortages, loss and unmatched records rather than treating physical release as bank-file closure.

Sources: Bangladesh Bank: FE Circular 30, 13 August 2026

Build the import document file by stage

Stage	Prepare / reconcile	Applicability
Business readiness	IRC and entity / tax / VAT particulars	Follow the current service-specific requirements and exemptions.
Order and banking	Pro forma invoice or indent, contract / LC application and bank instructions	Depends on the approved route.
Shipment	Invoice, packing details, transport and origin evidence	Match descriptions and shipment particulars.
Product control	Permit, certificate, inspection or test evidence	Only where the applicable measure requires it.
Cargo insurance	Cover note / policy or other accepted evidence	Check the agreed term and current insurance requirement.
Customs and closure	Bill of Entry, assessment, payment and release evidence	Reconcile the import and bank records.

This is a planning matrix, not a universal attachment list. The current agency, bank and customs requirements determine the final file. Open permission applications and official instructions →

References: Customs document checklist · CCI&E OLM

Check timing, amendments and the chosen port

Before the supplier dispatches, compare the permitted product, quantity, ports and shipment dates across the contract, LC and permissions. If an approval is required before shipment, obtain it at that stage. Confirm any land-port or customs-point restrictions for the exact goods. Review changes in shipment dates, product specifications or payment terms with the AD and relevant authority before accepting an amendment.

For delayed, damaged, short-shipped or missing cargo, retain correspondence and transport or survey evidence. Route the customs, insurance and banking adjustments through the responsible parties; do not close an unmatched bank record merely because cargo was released.

References: Customs product measures · BB Circular 30

Special imports need their own checklist

Samples, gifts, free-of-cost supplies, temporary imports, repair-and-return transactions, aid-funded purchases and zone enterprises do not all follow the ordinary commercial route. Establish the purpose, ownership, value, return obligation, required permit and payment treatment first. Use the specific current provision instead of applying a general exemption by analogy.

For goods imported for export production, assess the applicable bond, back-to-back and zone conditions separately. The existence of an export order does not itself settle every import permission or financing requirement.

References: Current IPO implementation · Customs product measures

Before you consider the import complete

The received goods and customs declaration reconcile with the order.
Applicable permission conditions and duty payments are evidenced.
The AD has the required import evidence and unresolved differences.
Payment and financing maturities have been settled or properly addressed.
Outstanding claims, queries and obligations have an owner and due date.

Maintain the transaction checklist in Project Management →

References: BB Circular 30 · Customs product measures

BTP content reviewed and adapted

The complete seven-page BTP import procedure was reviewed. Its numbered topics are accounted for below; historical rules are not presented as present-day instructions.

Original topic	Subject	Treatment here
1–2	Licensing; LCA	Current permission and reporting checks
3–4	LC / non-LC routes	Current IPO + Circular 30
5	Special permits	Transaction-specific verification
6	Deferred payment	Current BB credit provisions
7	Direct payment abroad	Separate current-rule check
8–9	Opening / shipment time limits	Historical limits excluded
10	Post-restriction amendments	Current measure and timing check
11–13	Documents	Stage-based matrix; current service checklist
14	Violations	Current IPO governs
15	Indent / pro forma invoice	Order-document checkpoint
16(a–g)	Bank processing / records	Current AD workflow; old LCA mechanics excluded

References: BTP Import Procedure — historical reference, 7 pages

Source currency check · 20 October 2026

Mixed source currency. The linked 2026 BB circulars are the base references reviewed, with route-specific amendments checked separately. BTP’s historical procedure PDFs are excluded from current rule instructions. BSW and CCI&E links are service gateways; their availability does not verify every form version or product permission. A recent crawl date does not establish that a legal requirement is current.

Official sources & review notes

Reviewed 20 October 2026. Publication dates identify the references reviewed; this page is not an automatic feed of every later amendment. Check the issuing authority before acting on a transaction.

Some Customs checklists still cite the older Import Policy Order. Use them for document planning alongside the current Order and amendments. BSW manuals describe application screens; they do not determine legal eligibility. Historical BTP guides are not used as current deadlines or fee schedules.