Factory & industrial licensing
A plant is legal only when the last approval lands
Industrial licensing is a dependency graph, not a checklist. Environmental category dictates the fire file; land records dictate the utility connection; the factory licence cannot close while an inspectorate file is open.
The programme
Phases we run for a greenfield facility
Each phase has its own authority, its own document set and its own failure mode. We keep them moving in parallel wherever the law allows it.
- 01
Phase 1 — Legal entity formation
Indicative 2–5 weeksRJSC · NBR · City Corporation
Establishing a Bangladeshi legal person capable of holding licences, leases, bank accounts and employment contracts.
- Name clearance from the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies (RJSC)
- Drafting Memorandum and Articles of Association tailored to the intended objects
- Company incorporation and issue of the Certificate of Incorporation
- E-TIN registration with the National Board of Revenue
- Trade licence from the local City Corporation or Union Parishad
- VAT / BIN registration and, where importing or exporting, IRC and ERC
- 02
Phase 2 — Project registration
Indicative 2–6 weeksBIDA · BEZA · BEPZA · Hi-Tech Park Authority
Registering the investment project with the authority that governs the chosen location, unlocking work permits and incentives.
- Selecting the correct authority: BIDA for the general domestic territory, BEZA for economic zones, BEPZA for export processing zones
- Filing the project profile, investment schedule and machinery list
- Payment of registration fees (indicative range, scaled to project value)
- Obtaining the registration letter used downstream for visas, work permits and utility applications
- Where applicable, applying through the One-Stop Service (OSS) portal of the authority
- 03
Phase 3 — Operational and safety clearances
Indicative 2–8 months depending on environmental categoryFSCD · DOE · DIFE
The compliance core. Sequencing matters: layout approval and fire clearance are usually prerequisites to the factory licence.
- Approved factory layout plan and building/structural approval
- Fire licence from the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD)
- Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment, preceded by IEE or EIA where the category demands it
- Factory licence from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) via the LIMA portal
- Group insurance, workplace safety committee and statutory registers
- 04
Phase 4 — Utilities and specialised licensing
Indicative 2–9 months, largely dependent on utility availabilityTitas · REB/BREB · BERC · Boiler Directorate · Explosives · BRTA
Energising and specialising the plant. These files run in parallel and are the most common source of schedule slippage.
- Industrial gas connection application with layout, GIS location and load calculation
- Electricity connection via DESCO/DPDC or the local Palli Bidyut Samity, including feasibility study and wiring inspection
- Captive power plant approval and BERC licence where self-generation exceeds the licensing threshold
- Boiler registration and inspection under the applicable Boiler Rules
- Explosive, acid and chemical storage licences where hazardous materials are held
- BRTA registration for company vehicles and covered vans
Reference tables
Indicative classifications, sequences and timelines
Published as ranges to help you plan. Confirm the current official position with the authority before committing a schedule or a budget.
Environmental categories and clearance route
The Department of Environment classifies projects by pollution potential. The category dictates the study required and the realistic timeline.
| Category | Typical industries | Study required | Indicative clearance timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | Assembly, tailoring, light services | None beyond application | 3–8 weeks |
| Orange-A | Small food processing, printing | Basic documentation and site plan | 1–3 months |
| Orange-B | Garments with washing/dyeing, plastics | Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) | 2–5 months |
| Red | Chemicals, tanneries, power, cement | Full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) | 4–8 months or longer |
DIFE factory licence — establishment classes
Establishment class is set by worker headcount and determines the licence fee band and renewal scrutiny. Fee bands below are indicative and must be confirmed against the current gazette.
| Class | Indicative worker band | Indicative fee band (BDT) | Typical profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Up to ~50 workers | Lowest band — low thousands | Small assembly or packaging unit |
| C | ~51–100 workers | Low band | Light manufacturing |
| D | ~101–500 workers | Mid band | Mid-size garment or engineering plant |
| E | ~501–1,000 workers | Upper-mid band | Large manufacturing unit |
| H | Several thousand workers | Highest band — tens of thousands | Composite mill or industrial park tenant |
Utility connection — sequence and duration
Utility files are the most common cause of commissioning delay because they depend on network availability, not only on your paperwork.
| Step | Gas (Titas / regional) | Electricity (PBS / DPDC / DESCO) |
|---|---|---|
| Application and load declaration | Layout, GIS location, load calculation | Feasibility application with connected load |
| Technical assessment | Network availability and pressure survey | Feasibility study and line route survey |
| Cost settlement | Demand note and security deposit | Construction cost deposit |
| Installation and inspection | Pipeline, station and meter installation | Wiring inspection by licensed electrician |
| Energisation | Indicative 3–9 months overall | Indicative 6–16 weeks after deposit |
Land mutation (namjari) — realistic durations
Mutation updates the government record to your name. The statutory target and the practical duration differ; disputes extend both.
| Case type | Indicative duration | Principal risk |
|---|---|---|
| Clean title, undisputed transfer | 1.5–3 months | Incomplete via-deed chain |
| Inherited or partitioned land | 3–6 months | Missing heirs or unregistered partition |
| Disputed or court-involved | 6–18 months or longer | Injunction and appeal cycles |
| Land converted from agricultural use | Add 1–3 months | Land-use conversion approval |
Talk to us
Planning a plant?
Share the sector, the site and the intended production date. We will return a sequencing view showing what must start now.