Trade License and DBID for Online Business in Bangladesh

Short answer: an online seller in Bangladesh is expected to have a DBID (Digital Business Identity) from the Ministry of Commerce. It is free, and you can apply with your NID and your Facebook page link, without a trade license. A trade license is a separate license from your local city corporation, pourashava or union parishad. You do not need it for the DBID, but it is the basic business paper in Bangladesh.

This guide explains each paper, what it costs, the documents you need, and a sensible order to get them in. It is written for a one-person or family business selling from a Facebook page or WhatsApp. It is not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official portals before you apply.

Which papers does an online business in Bangladesh need?

Larger businesses may also need VAT registration (BIN) or company registration with RJSC. Those are beyond this guide. If you are at that size, talk to an accountant.

What is DBID and who must get it?

The government published the Digital Commerce Operation Guidelines in 2021. In February 2022 the Ministry of Commerce launched the DBID system under it. The Business Standard reported at the launch that all e-commerce businesses selling through websites, social media or apps must get a DBID. That includes Facebook-based sellers. The first batch of certificates went to big platforms and to individual Facebook businesses on the same day.

After you get a DBID, you are expected to show the number on your website or Facebook page. Buyers can see that the business is registered.

How to apply for DBID

1. Go to the DBID portal at dbid.gov.bd. The Business Standard reported in 2022 that it works through the government's myGov login.
2. Keep ready: your NID number, a phone number and email you check, and the link to your Facebook page or website.
3. Add your trade license if you have one. It is not required for the application.
4. Make sure your page or website shows your terms of sale in Bangla. More on this below.
5. Submit and keep checking your email and the portal for questions from RJSC.

We could not open dbid.gov.bd from our network on 1 October 2026, so we could not check each screen ourselves. Follow the steps the portal shows on the day you apply.

Why DBID applications get rejected

Approvals have been slow. In April 2023, The Daily Star reported that only 599 of 4,231 applications, about 14%, had been granted. An RJSC official said the most common reason for rejection was that the business did not show its terms and conditions in Bangla. Wrong or incomplete information was another reason.

So before you apply, put a short Bangla note on your page or website that covers:

• How a customer orders and pays (COD, bKash advance, or both)
• Delivery charge inside and outside Dhaka, and how long delivery takes
• Your return and exchange rule, and how refunds are paid
• Your phone number and business address

Is a trade license required for an online business?

Not for the DBID. The Daily Star reported in July 2022 that a DBID can be issued without a trade license when the business has an official website or social media page.

A trade license is still useful. It is the basic business paper in Bangladesh. If you later want a business bank account, a payment service or a supply deal with another company, expect to be asked for business papers. Ask each provider for its current list, because these lists change.

For taking payments without a trade license, our Bangla post on the bKash merchant account explains the personal retail account, which bKash offers to small sellers who have no trade license.

How to get a trade license in Dhaka

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) explains the process on its website. That page was last updated in July 2025:

1. Open a user account on erevenue.dncc.gov.bd and fill in the application.
2. Upload the owner's photo, NID copy, a no-objection certificate, papers showing capital, proof of the business address (deed or porcha if you own it, rent agreement if you rent), and a recent holding tax receipt where it applies.
3. A license supervisor checks the application and sends it for approval.
4. You get an SMS and email to pay the fee. After payment you can print the license from your account.

DNCC says most licenses are now generated automatically right after payment, except for risky or public-sensitive businesses. It gives 3 working days as the service time. Dhaka South City Corporation has its own process, and DSCC trade licenses can also be applied for through BIDA's One Stop Service portal. Outside Dhaka, apply at your city corporation, pourashava or union parishad.

How much is the trade license fee?

There is no single national fee. DNCC says the fee is set under section 10(4) of the City Corporation Model Tax Schedule 2016, which sets different fees for different types of business. Ask your zone office for the current fee for your business type, and ask what other charges are added. Renewal goes through the same portal, and DNCC gives 2 working days for it. Ask when yours is due.

What about e-TIN?

e-TIN is your tax number from the National Board of Revenue. You can register for it yourself, free, at secure.incometax.gov.bd with your NID and phone number. Ask a tax adviser what having an e-TIN means for filing returns in your case.

Which should you get first?

For a small Facebook or WhatsApp seller, this order makes sense:

1. Fix your page first. Add Bangla terms of sale, your delivery charges and your return rule. This costs nothing and helps with DBID and with customer trust.
2. Apply for DBID. It is free and it can take a long time, so start early.
3. Get an e-TIN. Also free and online.
4. Get a trade license when you need a business bank account, a partner asks for it, or you can afford the fee.
5. Show your numbers. Put your DBID and trade license number in your page's About section.

What do the 2021 guidelines ask sellers to do day to day?

Registration is only one part. The Daily Star's July 2021 summary of the Digital Commerce Operation Guidelines lists rules that touch every order:

• Show the price, delivery and other charges, and real photos or videos of the product.
• Show your conditions of purchase and return.
• Deliver within 5 days inside the same city and within 10 days to another city, once payment is made.
• Respond to complaints within 72 hours.
• Keep your business records for at least 6 years.

Most of this is good selling anyway. Showing the delivery charge up front also cuts the "ডেলিভারি চার্জ কত?" messages. Our courier charges guide helps you set that charge, and our WhatsApp selling guide shows how to confirm each order in writing, which also gives you a record.

A store link can help with the display rules. A Kommercly store shows each product's photo and price, and the customer sees the delivery charge for their area before ordering. The order then comes to your WhatsApp in writing. You make it from your phone, and the free plan has 0% commission. The setup guide walks through it. Kommercly does not register your business or give you a DBID. You still apply for those yourself.

Is a new digital commerce law coming?

In January 2023, Prothom Alo reported a draft Digital Commerce Law. It would make DBID registration compulsory before a business starts, including Facebook page businesses. It would also stop unregistered businesses from taking payments through banks, mobile banking and payment gateways. At that time it was still a draft. We could not confirm whether it has since become law, so check the latest news before you rely on it.

If you are moving from a Facebook-only business to your own store, our Bangla guide on when to move from f-commerce to a website covers that decision.

Quick answers

Sources: The Daily Star, "An overview of the Digital Commerce Operation Guidelines 2021" (July 2021), "NID sufficient for securing digital business ID" (July 2022) and "ID for online businesses: only 14% of applications granted" (April 2023); The Business Standard, DBID launch report (February 2022); Prothom Alo, draft Digital Commerce Law report (January 2023); Dhaka North City Corporation, trade license issue and renewal page (updated July 2025); BIDA notice on DSCC trade licenses. Checked 1 October 2026.