Starting from 1 October 2025, the process for foreign investors and expatriate employees to obtain security clearance for new work permits issued by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) will be fully digital.
Foreign investors and employees will be required to submit their security clearance applications exclusively through BIDA’s One Stop Service (OSS) Portal, as announced in a press release on Tuesday.
The new process mandates that all applications be submitted through the BIDA OSS Portal, and once submitted with the required documents, the clearance will be deemed granted if no objections are raised within 21 working days. Failure to submit the application within the designated timeframe will result in the invalidation of the work permit.
BIDA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury stated, “The digitization of the security clearance process will enable investors to access a more transparent and predictable service. This step is crucial in making Bangladesh more investment-friendly.”
He also expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs for its cooperation and leadership in implementing this significant reform, considering the perspectives of investors.
Nasimul Ghani, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, remarked, “The digitalized security clearance process will improve inter-agency coordination and simplify visa and work permit services for foreign investors. The Ministry of Home Affairs will continue working closely with BIDA to improve the quality and efficiency of these services.”
On 2 September 2025, an inter-agency meeting was held at BIDA Headquarters, chaired by Ashik Chowdhury and attended by Nasimul Ghani. Representatives from the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP), law enforcement agencies, and investment promotion agencies also participated.
Following decisions made at the meeting, several initiatives are already in progress, including the digitalization of visa renewals and fee payments, a new investor-friendly visa policy, facilitation of online payments for visa-on-arrival fees, and the development of an interoperable inter-agency database. These initiatives are expected to be completed by December 2025.
