Bangladesh Bank Eases Foreign Remittance Rules for Hi-Tech Park Enterprises

TBS Report, Dhaka — Bangladesh Bank has eased foreign remittance rules for industrial enterprises operating in Hi-Tech Parks, allowing them to make certain overseas payments from their taka accounts — a strategically important regulatory relaxation that reduces the administrative burden on technology enterprises making international payments for intellectual property and technical services.

Enterprises will be able to pay royalty, technical know-how, and technical assistance fees within prescribed limits without prior approval from Bangladesh Bank or the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA), according to a central bank circular issued on 3 September 2026.

💰 Key Regulatory Changes

• 💰 Taka account payments: enterprises can now pay from taka accounts, not just foreign currency accounts
• 💰 No prior BB approval: within prescribed limits, no Bangladesh Bank approval needed
• 💰 No prior BHTPA approval: within prescribed limits, no Hi-Tech Park Authority approval needed
• 💰 AD bank facilitation: authorised dealer banks can process outward remittances
• 💰 Covered payments: royalty, technical know-how, technical assistance fees

⚠️ Conditions and Limitations

The regulatory easing comes with specific conditions:

• ⚠️ No foreign currency income: AD banks must verify the enterprise has no source of foreign currency income before processing taka account remittances
• ⚠️ Prescribed limits: if royalty, technical know-how, or technical assistance fees exceed prescribed limits, BHTPA prior approval still required
• ⚠️ Other expenses: for other legitimate expenses, BHTPA approval required regardless of amount

🏛 Strategic Rationale

Bangladesh Bank said the measure was introduced to facilitate the settlement of foreign payment obligations of industrial enterprises operating in Hi-Tech Parks. The move is expected to provide greater flexibility to industrial enterprises in meeting their overseas contractual and operational payment obligations — reducing the administrative friction that has historically constrained technology transfer and international collaboration in Bangladesh's Hi-Tech Park ecosystem.

💻 Hi-Tech Park Context

Bangladesh's Hi-Tech Park framework, administered by the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA), has been developed to attract technology-intensive investment in designated technology parks across the country. Key Hi-Tech Parks include:

• 💻 Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City (Kaliakair, Gazipur) — flagship technology park
• 💻 Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park (Jessore)
• 💻 Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center — multiple locations
• 💻 Silicon City (Sylhet)
• 💻 Hi-Tech Parks in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Rangpur

Enterprises in these parks typically need to make regular international payments for:

• 📜 Royalty payments for licensed technology and intellectual property
• 📜 Technical know-how fees for knowledge transfer agreements
• 📜 Technical assistance fees for consulting and support services
• 📜 Software licensing fees for proprietary platforms
• 📜 Cloud service payments for international infrastructure

💰 Foreign Exchange Management Context

The regulatory easing forms part of Bangladesh Bank's broader foreign exchange management modernisation:

• 💰 Electronic FX Market Module — automating forex operations (separate FE report)
• 💰 Forward booking facility — Tk 1 per dollar edge for importers
• 💰 BB buys $50m from banks — after 3-month pause
• 💰 Consolidated foreign exchange rules — on loans and guarantees
• 💰 OBU foreign currency access widened — offshore banking unit reforms
• 💰 BB widens access to finance against OBU-held deposits

Together, these measures represent a coordinated effort by Bangladesh Bank to modernise the country's foreign exchange regulatory framework — reducing administrative friction while maintaining appropriate regulatory oversight.

🌏 Strategic Implications

The Hi-Tech Park remittance easing carries several strategic implications:

• ✅ Reduced administrative burden: faster processing of international payments
• ✅ Taka account flexibility: enterprises without FCY income can make payments
• ✅ Technology transfer facilitation: easier royalty and know-how fee payments
• ✅ Hi-Tech Park attractiveness: improved operating environment for tech enterprises
• ✅ AD bank empowerment: banks can process without BB/BHTPA approval (within limits)
• ✅ International collaboration support: reduces friction for cross-border tech partnerships
• ⚠️ Limit threshold compliance: enterprises need to track prescribed limits
• ⚠️ FCY income verification: AD banks must verify no foreign currency income
• ⚠️ Other expenses still require BHTPA approval: not all payments eased

The Hi-Tech Park remittance easing represents a targeted regulatory intervention by Bangladesh Bank to reduce the administrative friction that has constrained international technology collaboration in Bangladesh's growing Hi-Tech Park ecosystem. By allowing taka account payments for royalty and technical fees within prescribed limits, the central bank has removed a practical barrier to technology transfer — supporting the broader digital transformation agenda that is critical for Bangladesh's competitiveness through the LDC graduation transition period beginning November 2026.