Trade Licence and DBID for Online Shops in Bangladesh

Most Facebook and WhatsApp sellers start with a page, a bKash number and a courier account. Then someone asks: "Do you have a trade licence?" Or a bank, a payment provider or a supplier asks for business papers, and you realise you are not sure what an online shop in Bangladesh is supposed to have.

This guide explains the two papers that come up most, the DBID (Digital Business Identity) and the trade licence, what each needs, and a sensible order to get them in. It also covers the one mistake that gets many DBID applications rejected.

This is not legal advice. We quote only official pages and named news reports, checked on 29 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the official portal on the day you apply.

The short answerCopy Anchor Link

• DBID is the registration for businesses that sell online, including Facebook page businesses. The official DBID portal says it is free and that a digital business may not operate without one. (dbid.gov.bd)
• You can apply for a DBID without a trade licence. The portal lists the trade licence as "if you have one" (যদি থাকে). Dhaka Tribune reported the same when the guideline came out in July 2022. (Dhaka Tribune)
• A trade licence is a separate paper from your city corporation, pourashava or union parishad. DBID does not replace it, and banks and payment services often ask for it.
• Put Bangla terms of sale on your page or website before you apply. Missing Bangla terms was one of the most common reasons for rejection, according to an RJSC official quoted by The Daily Star.

Which papers does an online shop need?Copy Anchor Link

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

What is DBID, and who needs it?Copy Anchor Link

The Ministry of Commerce launched DBID on 6 February 2022, and RJSC issues the certificates, according to The Daily Star (April 2023). It sits under the Digital Commerce Operation Guidelines 2021.

The DBID portal's own guideline (in Bangla) says, in short:

• A new business should first create its website or social media page, then apply for DBID with that link. You cannot apply before the page or site exists.
• The page or site must be active.
• It must show your terms of sale in Bangla, clearly covering delivery time, refunds, returns and after-sales service.
• Once you get a DBID, you must display it on your website or page.
• Each business needs its own DBID; one business with several branches gets one DBID.

Source: DBID application info, checked 2026-10-29.

What you need to apply for DBIDCopy Anchor Link

The portal says you need a verified account on the government's MyInfo (মাই-ইনফো) system, created with the mobile number registered to your NID. It lists these papers:

• Your photo and signature
• Your NID number (and the chairman's and directors' NIDs, if it is a company)
• Proof of address: the house owner's NID, an electricity bill, or an office rent agreement, where it applies
• Trade licence, company registration, VAT and tax registration numbers if you have them
• A recommendation from a local chairman or ward commissioner, if you have one

The portal gives the fee as free and the service time as up to 60 working days. (dbid.gov.bd)

Why DBID applications get rejectedCopy Anchor Link

Approvals have been slow. In April 2023, The Daily Star reported that RJSC had granted 599 DBID certificates out of 4,231 applications, about 14%. An RJSC official said many applicants gave inaccurate information or did not follow the instructions, and one of the most common reasons was no terms and conditions in Bangla on the site or page.

That is the cheapest thing to fix, so fix it first. Your Bangla terms should say, at least:

• How a customer orders and pays (cash on delivery, bKash, or both)
• Your delivery charge and delivery time, inside and outside Dhaka
• Your return and exchange rule
• How and when you refund
• How a customer reaches you after the sale (phone, WhatsApp, address)

Is a trade licence required for an online business?Copy Anchor Link

Not for the DBID application. Beyond that, it depends on what you need. A trade licence is the basic local business permission in Bangladesh, and it attaches to a business address, not to a website. If you want a business bank account, a bKash Merchant Account, a payment gateway or a supply deal, expect to be asked for one. For example, bKash's merchant form asks for your trade licence, while bKash offers a Personal Retail Account to sellers without one (see our bKash guide).

How to get a trade licence in Dhaka NorthCopy Anchor Link

Dhaka North City Corporation describes the process (checked 2026-10-29):

1. Open a user account on DNCC's e-revenue portal and apply online.
2. Upload the owner's photo, NID copy, a no-objection certificate, papers showing capital, proof of the premises (deed or porcha if you own it, rent agreement if you rent) and a recent holding tax receipt where it applies.
3. A licence supervisor checks the application and sends it for approval.
4. You get an SMS and email to pay the fee. After paying, you can print the licence from your account.

DNCC says most licences are now generated automatically right after payment, except for risky or public-sensitive businesses, and lists the service time as 3 working days for a new licence and 2 for renewal. The fee follows the City Corporation Model Tax Schedule 2016 and depends on your business type, so ask your zone office. Dhaka South, other city corporations, pourashavas and union parishads have their own process.

What the 2021 guidelines expect day to dayCopy Anchor Link

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

• Show the conditions of purchase and return, the price, and delivery or other charges.
• Provide images or video of the product so the buyer can decide.
• Once paid, deliver within 5 days in the same city and within 10 days to another city.
• Keep business information for at least 6 years.
• Ask the buyer's permission before collecting personal data.

Most of this is good selling anyway. Showing the delivery charge before the order cuts the "delivery charge koto?" messages, and written order records help when a customer disputes a COD parcel.

A sensible order for a small sellerCopy Anchor Link

1. Fix your page or site first. Add Bangla terms, delivery charges and your return rule. It costs nothing and it is the top rejection reason.
2. Apply for DBID. It is free and can take up to 60 working days, so start early.
3. Get an e-TIN if you do not have one. Ask a tax adviser what it means for your returns.
4. Get a trade licence when a bank, payment provider or partner asks for it, or when you rent a shop or warehouse.
5. Show your numbers. Put your DBID (and trade licence number, if you have one) where buyers can see it.

Where your own store helpsCopy Anchor Link

A Facebook page has a short About section. A store of your own gives you room for the things the DBID guideline and the 2021 guidelines ask for: a full Bangla terms page, product photos and prices on every item, delivery charges shown before the customer orders, and a written record of every order in one place instead of a Messenger thread.

StoreOS lets you build that store on the Free plan, which takes cash on delivery orders and includes order management. When you are ready for your own domain, Pathao and Steadfast booking and online payment, Silver is Tk 499 a month. StoreOS does not register your business or apply for a DBID for you; you still do that yourself.

Start your store free and put your Bangla terms on it before you apply for DBID.

FAQCopy Anchor Link

Is a trade licence required for an online business in Bangladesh?Copy Anchor Link

Not to apply for a DBID. The DBID portal lists the trade licence as optional ("if you have one"). A trade licence is still the basic local business permission and is often asked for by banks, payment services and partners.

What is DBID?Copy Anchor Link

DBID (Digital Business Identity) is the Ministry of Commerce registration for businesses that sell online, including Facebook page businesses. RJSC processes applications, and you must show the number on your site or page once issued.

How much does DBID cost, and how long does it take?Copy Anchor Link

The official DBID portal lists it as free, with a service time of up to 60 working days (checked 29 October 2026).

Can I get a DBID with only a Facebook page?Copy Anchor Link

The guideline accepts a website or a social media page, as long as it is active and shows Bangla terms of sale covering delivery time, refunds, returns and after-sales service. You must create the page before you apply.

Why was my DBID application rejected?Copy Anchor Link

An RJSC official told The Daily Star in April 2023 that a common reason was missing Bangla terms and conditions; inaccurate information was another. Fix both and reapply.