If your organisation will receive foreign donations, registering with the NGO Affairs Bureau is mandatory, and it is a more detailed process than domestic registration. The NGOAB, established in 1990 and operating under the Prime Minister's Office, registers and monitors NGOs and INGOs that receive foreign funds under the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act 2016. This registration is commonly called FD Registration.
This is general information, not legal advice. Forms, fees, codes, and timelines change, and applications turn on specifics. Confirm current requirements with the NGO Affairs Bureau or a qualified lawyer before acting.
Who needs NGOAB registration
NGOAB registration applies to any organisation, local or international, that intends to receive and use foreign donations for voluntary activities in Bangladesh. A purely domestic organisation that takes only local donations does not need it, but the moment foreign funding enters the picture, FD Registration becomes mandatory in addition to any domestic registration.
The application: Form FD-1 and documents
According to Bangladeshi legal guidance, the core application is Form FD-1, signed by the organisation's Chief Executive in Bangladesh and submitted in nine copies, along with supporting documents. These typically include:
- The organisation's constitution or governing document
- Activity report and an operational or annual plan with a sample budget
- Executive committee details
- A letter of intent
- Prior annual reports and audited accounts where available
- Treasury challan receipts for the fee and VAT
Applications are generally submitted through the NGOAB online portal. For international NGOs, additional documents such as the certificate of incorporation in the country of origin are required.
Fees
Legal guidance indicates a registration fee of around BDT 50,000 for local NGOs and USD 9,000 for foreign NGOs, plus 15 percent VAT on the fee, paid by treasury challan to specified government codes. Treat these as indicative and confirm the current amounts and codes before paying, since fees and account codes are updated periodically.
Security clearance and timeline
After submission, NGOAB forwards the file for verification to other government bodies, which can include the Ministry of Home Affairs (with agencies such as the Special Branch and National Security Intelligence), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Bangladesh Bank. Legal sources indicate NGOAB aims to grant registration within around 90 working days of a complete application, though in practice the inter-departmental checks often make it take longer. Build a generous timeline into your planning.
Validity, renewal, and project approval
Once granted, NGOAB registration is valid for 10 years and must be renewed around six months before it expires. Registration alone, however, does not let you spend foreign funds freely. For each project, you must obtain project-specific approval by submitting a project proposal to NGOAB before using the funds. Ongoing compliance includes annual activity and fund-utilisation reporting and using authorised bank accounts. (See the Foreign Donations Act explained.)
After registration: raising funds
NGOAB registration governs foreign donations. For domestic fundraising, a registered organisation can accept local donations transparently through a verified platform. Uddom gives registered NGOs a verified campaign page, local payment options, and fund tracking. It does not handle your NGOAB process, but once you are set up, it helps you raise and account for domestic funds. (See how NGOs can accept online donations.)
Frequently asked questions
How long does NGOAB registration take in Bangladesh? Legal guidance indicates NGOAB aims to register within around 90 working days of a complete application, but inter-departmental security clearance often extends this. Plan for longer and confirm current timelines.
How much does NGOAB registration cost? Guidance indicates around BDT 50,000 for local NGOs and USD 9,000 for foreign NGOs, plus 15 percent VAT. Treat these as indicative and verify the current fee and payment codes with NGOAB before filing.
By Md. Sowad Al-Mughni, Uddom. Last updated: June 2026.