According to Section 64(1) of the Bangladesh Patent Act, 2023, where the applicant’s ordinary residence or place of business is outside Bangladesh, the applicant must be represented by a suitable Bangladeshi person who resides in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is not a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Bangladesh is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

Section 33 of the Public Procurement Act stipulates that an open international procurement method should be adopted only when it is not feasible to conduct procurement through the invitation of competitive tenders within the country, and it reasonably appears to the procuring entity that effective international competition cannot be ensured without special measures.

Rules 102(1)(e), 102(2), and 118(23), together with Schedule 2 of the Public Procurement Rules, 2025, establish a domestic price-preference scheme for international procurement. Under this scheme, local manufacturers, suppliers and contractors may receive a preference of up to 15% for goods manufactured in Bangladesh, provided that Bangladeshi labour, raw materials and components account for more than 30% of the EXW price. The preference applies for tender evaluation and comparison purposes.

Corruption allegations are common in Bangladesh's public procurement. Foreign stakeholders cite outdated specifications, biased tendering, and a lack of transparency. Reports suggest bid rigging, bribery, and anticompetitive practices.

Bangladesh is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) nor does it have observer status.

The Telecommunications Network and Licensing Policy 2025 introduced a new licensing framework for Bangladesh’s telecommunications and digital-connectivity sector, establishing several maximum foreign equity limits.
The Policy sets different foreign ownership caps depending on the licence category, including:
- For Cellular Mobile Service Provider licences, foreign ownership is capped at 85%, with a corresponding requirement of at least 15% domestic participation (Sections 7.2.11.1–7.2.11.2).
- For National Infrastructure and Connectivity Service Provider (NICSP) licences, including existing Nationwide Telecommunications Transmission Network (NTTN) and Tower Sharing licences, foreign ownership is generally capped at 65% (Sections 7.7.12.2–7.7.12.3). However, exceptions may allow foreign equity of up to 85% (Section 7.7.12.5).
- For International Connectivity Service Provider (ICSP) licences, foreign shareholding is limited to 49% (Section 7.8.8).
The 60% foreign ownership cap previously set out in Section 4.06(i) of the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) Guidelines has been superseded by the ownership limits established under the new licensing policy. Similarly, the previous Tower Sharing regime has been integrated into the NICSP category under Section 7.7.13. More generally, Sections 10.3.3, 13.7, and 14.2 provide that renewals and new applications must be issued under the new licensing categories, while existing licences may continue during their current terms.

Under Section 3(1) of the Foreign Private Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act of 1980, the Government may authorise the establishment of an industrial project with foreign capital where the project is considered desirable, including where it does not yet exist in Bangladesh, is not being carried out on a scale adequate to the country’s economic and social needs, or is likely to contribute to capital formation, technical and managerial capacity, natural-resource utilisation, the balance of payments, employment creation, or broader economic development. Under Section 3(2), such authorisation may be subject to conditions imposed by the Government.
In addition, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act of 2016 establishes a broader approval and registration framework applicable to both domestic and foreign private-sector industries. Under Sections 14(1), 15(1), and 15(2), private-sector industrial projects outside specialised regimes must be registered or approved by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), which may request information and consult relevant institutions. For investments in specialised zones or parks, the competent authority may instead be the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), or the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA).

Appendix 7 of the National Industrial Policy 2022 lists certain strategic sectors, including telecommunications (mobile/cellular and landline services), satellite channels, and VoIP/IP telephony, that require a "No Objection Certificate" (NOC) for foreign investment.

It is reported that, in the case of establishing a branch office or a representative/liaison office, the minimum inward remittance required to be brought into Bangladesh by the foreign company is USD 50,000.

Section 8(14) of the Bangladesh Patent Act, 2023 empowers the Director General, before granting a patent, to require a foreign patent applicant to adapt the patent description to the general skill of Bangladeshi citizens, with a view to promoting the use of the patented technology in Bangladesh. It is reported that imposing this requirement exclusively on foreign applicants in the patent-granting process may constitute discrimination, thereby potentially violating the principle of national treatment.

Bhutan has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.