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Doulah & Doulah

Since 1965 · Dhaka · Chattogram · Khulna

Intellectual Property & Business Law in Bangladesh

Protecting brands, inventions and investments for the world's leading companies for six decades.

Investing in Bangladesh? Start hereTalk to a partner

  • Chambers Global 2026

    Band 1 · Corporate & Finance

  • The Legal 500

    Tier 1 · Intellectual Property

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific

    15 years ranked · IP

Welcome

Protecting and growing your business in Bangladesh since 1965

Bangladesh has changed more in the past five years than in the previous fifty: new patent, design and copyright laws, an online trademark registry and new sectors opening to foreign capital.

For six decades we have helped international businesses secure their rights, structure their investments and protect their interests before every office and court in the country.

A.B.M. Shamsud Doulah

Senior Partner

About the firm

1965
Established
29
Lawyers
3
Offices nationwide
10
Practice groups

Why clients choose us

  • One firm, start to finish

    Company set-up, IP protection, financing and disputes, without handing you between firms.

  • Technical depth

    Lawyers and agents with backgrounds in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, engineering and IT.

  • Every court and regulator

    Advocates entitled to appear before all courts and tribunals, and experienced with every IP office.

  • Nationwide reach

    Offices close to ports, economic zones and regulators.

  • One named lawyer

    Clear updates in English by email, with deadlines and next steps.

  • Six decades of continuity

    Continuous practice since 1965, through every change in Bangladeshi law.

Independent recognition

Ranked in the top tier by Chambers and The Legal 500

Verify on the directories

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific · Bangladesh

  • Tier

    1

    Intellectual Property

  • Tier

    1

    Banking & Finance

  • Tier

    1

    Corporate & M&A

  • Tier

    1

    Tax

  • Tier

    2

    Dispute Resolution

  • Chambers Global 2026

    Band 1

    Corporate & Finance, Bangladesh

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026

    Ranked 15 years

    Intellectual Property, Bangladesh

  • Chambers ranked lawyers

    Band 1 · Band 3

    A.B.M. Nasirud Doulah · Dr Amina Khatoon

  • IFLR1000

    Financial & corporate

    Lenders' counsel on Bangladesh's largest project financing

  • Asia Business Law Journal

    The A-List

    A.B.M. Shamsud Doulah among Bangladesh's top lawyers

  • Chambers Practice Guides 2026

    Contributing authors

    Trade Marks & Copyright: Bangladesh chapter

What clients say

  • “Doulah & Doulah offers transparency, approachability and speed.”
    Client, Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026
  • “The responsiveness of the firm to our queries and needs is simply exceptional.”
    General Electric
  • “Safe pair of hands in difficult jurisdictions.”
    Client, The Legal 500
  • “Their analysis is always thorough and complete.”
    Islamic Development Bank (ICD)

Investing in Bangladesh

A market of 170 million consumers, open to foreign investment

Open to foreign ownership
Foreign investors can own 100% of a company in most sectors, and profits, dividends and capital can be repatriated under the foreign exchange rules.
Incentives and economic zones
Economic zones, export processing zones and hi-tech parks offer tax holidays and duty-free import of capital machinery.
One-stop approvals
Invest Bangladesh, the single authority that replaced BIDA and BEZA in August 2026, runs a one-stop service for company registration, permits and work visas for foreign investors.
Bay of BengalDhaka · Head officeChattogramKhulna
Doulah & Doulah offices

How we help investors enter Bangladesh

  • Company set-up
  • Invest Bangladesh approvals
  • Work permits
  • IP protection
  • Tax structuring

Investor guide

Six things to get right

Six points to help you enter the market with confidence. Each is set out in detail in our guide for foreign investors.

Read the full guide
  1. 01Check whether your sector is open or restricted100% foreign ownership is allowed in most sectors, but entry is not the same for every one. Check your category first.
  2. 02Choose the investment structurePrivate limited company, subsidiary, joint venture, acquisition, branch or liaison office: the right vehicle depends on what you plan to do.
  3. 03A Bangladeshi company means Bangladeshi complianceOnce you operate here, Bangladeshi law applies: companies, tax, labour, foreign exchange, customs, data and product standards.
  4. 04Do not underestimate tax and repatriating fundsCorporate tax, VAT, withholding tax and customs duties. Profits, dividends and capital go home through banks under the FX rules. Plan it early.
  5. 05Protect your IP from day oneRegister trademarks, patents and designs, control source code and know-how, and put IP clauses in staff and supplier contracts.
  6. 06Choose local partners carefullyDue diligence on the partner can matter as much as due diligence on the investment. Verify, then trust.

Your rights at a glance

Bangladesh has rebuilt its IP laws for a new era

A new Patent Act (in force since 27 February 2025), Industrial Design Act and Copyright Act, all enacted in 2023, replace laws dating back to 1911.

For international counsel

Patents, designs, trademarks and GIs are handled by the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT), Ministry of Industries. Copyright sits with the Copyright Office.

Our practice areas

Full-service counsel, with a partner leading every area

All 23 practice areas

Track record

Landmark IP wins and the country's defining deals

All mandates

  • First

    To establish the well-known mark doctrine in Bangladesh, for Nokia.

  • 200+

    Counterfeiters targeted in nationwide enforcement for Sony.

  • 100+

    Counterfeit shops raided under High Court orders.

  • USD 2.4bn

    China Exim Bank

    Project financing of the 2 × 662 MW Payra thermal power plant

  • c. USD 2bn

    Zhenhua Oil

    Successful bid for three gas fields in Bangladesh

  • USD 412m

    BIFFL, China CITIC Bank & China Development Bank

    PPP toll road financing

  • USD 119m

    Shenzhen & Shanghai Stock Exchanges

    25% strategic stake in the Dhaka Stock Exchange

  • 49% stake

    China Shandong Hi-Speed & Sinohydro

    First Dhaka Elevated Expressway

  • First

    IFC & Excelerate Energy

    Maheshkhali, Bangladesh's first floating LNG terminal

Law reform

Partners drafted the Bankruptcy Act 1997 and finalised Bangladesh's modern banking framework under the World Bank's Financial Sector Reform Programme.

Five mandates set out in full

Selected clients

Trusted by global brands, lenders and investors

We act across every major sector of the Bangladesh economy, for multinationals, development finance institutions and international lenders.

  • Consumer goods

    Colgate-Palmolive · PepsiCo · Coca-Cola · Gillette · Duracell · Britannia · Associated British Foods · British American Tobacco · Asian Paints · TOA Paints

  • Technology

    Microsoft · Meta · WhatsApp · Google · Sony · Toshiba · Panasonic · Hewlett-Packard · Casio · Seiko · Nokia · Samsung · Huawei · Whirlpool

  • Automotive

    Audi · Lamborghini · Toyota · Land Rover · China First Automobile Group

  • Retail & hospitality

    Walmart · Amazon · Target · JC Penney · Kmart · COSTCO · Gap · McDonald's · KFC · Hyatt Hotels · Samsonite · Raymond

  • Energy & infrastructure

    General Electric · Excelerate Energy · Scatec · Total Eren · CMEC · PowerChina · China Harbour · POSCO · ONGC

  • Banks & development finance

    IFC · Asian Development Bank · Islamic Development Bank · European Investment Bank · China Exim Bank · China Development Bank · Commerzbank · Deutsche Bank

  • Pharmaceuticals & agriculture

    Novo Nordisk · Cargill · Devi CropScience · New Zealand Dairy Board

  • Aviation

    GE Capital Aviation Services · Export Development Canada · Gulf Air

  • Foundations & sport

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · FIFA

Client names are drawn from public directory submissions and past engagements. We never disclose confidential matters.

Our team

Advocates before every court, with technical depth

Our lawyers and agents bring backgrounds in chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, engineering, electronics and IT.

All 22 lawyers

Instructing us from another law firm?

Much of our work arrives from firms in Singapore, Tokyo, London, Delhi, Hong Kong and Beijing. Fee estimates within one business day, docketing confirmed in writing, a non-solicitation undertaking and one named partner.

How we work with counsel

Insights

Written by the partners who do the work

Dated, attributed, and kept current with each Finance Act and statutory amendment.

All insights
Intellectual Property13 November 2026

LDC graduation deferred to 2029: what it means for pharmaceutical patents

The United Nations has deferred Bangladesh's graduation from least-developed-country status by three years, to November 2029. The TRIPS transition for medicines continues until then. The deferral buys time; it does not change what originators and manufacturers need to do with it.

6 min read

Let's talk about your business in Bangladesh

Email is the fastest way to reach us. Write to doulah@doulah.com for prompt preliminary advice, at no charge.

We respond within one business day, Dhaka time (GMT+6). Dhaka is GMT+6. The Bangladesh weekend is Friday and Saturday.

Contact the firm