For international counsel
We work alongside your firm, not around it.
Much of our work arrives from law firms in Singapore, Tokyo, London, Delhi and Hong Kong who need Bangladesh counsel they can be answerable for. We are built for that relationship.
What you get
The six things a referring partner actually wants to know.
None of them is about how good we say we are.
Fee estimates within one business day
With the basis of charge stated in writing before work starts. If a matter will exceed the estimate we tell you before it does, not afterwards.
Docketing and deadline discipline
Statutory periods — opposition windows, renewal dates, limitation — are confirmed back to you in writing on receipt of instructions, and diarised here as well as at your end.
Drafting in English
To the standard your client's board and lenders expect. Documents that will be read in London, Tokyo or Singapore are written to be read there.
A written non-solicitation undertaking
We act on your instructions and do not approach your client directly. We will give you that in writing at the start of the relationship if you want it.
One named partner, accountable
Not a shared inbox. You will know who is responsible for the matter, and you will be able to reach them.
Conflicts cleared before substantive discussion
And declined promptly where they cannot be. We would rather lose a matter early than create a problem for you later.
Intellectual property
Why an agent admitted here is not optional.
Bangladesh sits outside the international filing systems. There is no route in that does not go through local counsel.
| Paris Convention | In force | In force for Bangladesh since 3 March 1991 |
|---|---|---|
| Berne Convention | In force | In force since 4 May 1999 |
| TRIPS / WTO | In force | Founding member since 1 January 1995 |
| WIPO | In force | Member since 1985 |
| Universal Copyright Convention | In force | Member since 1975 |
| Madrid Protocol | In preparation | Accession in preparation. Until it completes there is no international trademark filing route into Bangladesh — file nationally. |
| Patent Cooperation Treaty | Not a member | Not a member — national patent filing only |
| Hague Agreement | Not a member | Not a member — national design filing only |
Practically: every foreign rights holder must instruct counsel admitted in Bangladesh, and a designation under Madrid — if accession proceeds — would still need local representation the moment it is contested. Our analysis of what accession would change.
Your rights at a glance
Term, priority window and where each right is filed.
Bangladesh rebuilt its IP statutes in 2023, replacing laws that dated to 1911. These are the registrable rights as they now stand.
| Right | Law | Office | Term | Paris priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TrademarkOnline filing, one class per application. Protection against passing off and for well-known marks. Typically 2–3 years if unopposed. | Trademarks Act 2009 (amended 2015) | DPDT | 7 years, then 10-year renewals | 6 months |
| PatentExamination must be requested within 36 months. Medicine and agrochemical product patents wait for the TRIPS transition to end. Foreign applicants need a local agent. | Patent Act 2023 | DPDT | 20 years from filing | 12 months |
| Utility modelA faster right for incremental innovations that may not meet the full patent standard. Procedures are new and practice is still developing. | Patent Act 2023 | DPDT | 8 years | 12 months |
| Industrial designDesigns must be new and distinctive. Unregistered designs are not protected, so register before launch: public disclosure can destroy novelty. | Industrial Design Act 2023 | DPDT | 10 years, then 3 × 5 years — 25 maximum | 6 months |
| CopyrightArises automatically on creation; registration gives a certificate that is prima facie evidence of ownership. Corporate works run 60 years from publication. | Copyright Act 2023 | Copyright Office, Dhaka | Author's life + 60 years | — |
| Geographical indication64 Bangladeshi products registered as at June 2026, including Jamdani sarees, hilsa and Rajshahi silk. | GI of Goods Act 2013; Rules 2015 | DPDT | Registered and renewable | — |
Instructing us
How to start.
Email the partner whose practice fits the matter. If you are not sure which, email the general address and it will be routed the same day.
On receipt of instructions we confirm: the scope as we understand it, the basis of charge, the partner responsible, and any statutory deadline we have identified — in writing, within one business day.
For intellectual property work we will also confirm the documents and authorisations needed, including power of attorney and legalisation requirements, so that nothing waits on paperwork neither of us has asked for.
Partners
We respond within one business day, Dhaka time (GMT+6).