Govt to digitise security clearance for foreign investors through Bida OSS by mid-Sept
Applications that will be submitted with all mandatory documents but remain uncleared within 21 working days will be treated as free of security objections
The government will fully digitise the security clearance process for work permits of foreign investors and foreign workers through the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority's (Bida) Online One Stop Service (OSS) portal by mid-September.
The decision was announced today (2 September) following a high-level inter-agency meeting chaired by Bida Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, according to a press release issued by Bida.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Gani, along with senior officials from the Department of Immigration and Passports, security agencies and investment promotion bodies, were also present at the meeting.
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Under the new system, all security clearance procedures will be processed digitally, with documentation requirements streamlined according to a recent Home Ministry circular.
Applications that will be submitted with all mandatory documents but remain uncleared within 21 working days will be treated as free of security objections, and the applicants' visas will be automatically extended.
Visa extensions and fee payments for work permit holders will also move entirely online, eliminating the need for hard-copy submissions.
The government plans to digitise the Visa on Arrival (VOA) fee system as well, with a new visa policy expected soon to further strengthen investor-friendly services.
An inter-agency interoperable database will be developed to track the arrival and stay of foreign nationals and to improve coordination among relevant authorities. The new digital clearance process will apply to all applicants, regardless of which investment promotion agency their application is submitted under.
Bida chief Chowdhury Ashik said, "The digitalisation of security clearance is a landmark reform that will bring greater transparency and predictability to this critical investor service. I thank all the relevant agencies for moving swiftly to operationalise these important changes. We are now on track to roll out further reforms on work permit and visa services by December."
He added that Bida, which already holds regular monthly coordination meetings with the National Board of Revenue and Bangladesh Bank, would now begin similar engagements with agencies involved in work permit and security clearance to ensure the process becomes "seamless."
Senior Secretary Nasimul Gani stressed the importance of close coordination between his ministry and Bida to advance digitalisation and streamline the process further.
