Not at present. Bangladesh is not yet a member of the Madrid System, so it cannot be designated in an international application or a subsequent designation. WIPO has supported Bangladesh's preparation for accession, including a national seminar in Dhaka in 2026, but until accession takes effect a foreign owner needs a national trade mark registration filed directly at the DPDT under the Trademarks Act 2009. We file these applications for foreign owners and their counsel, and we will advise on how to integrate Bangladesh into a Madrid portfolio once membership is in force. Until then, filings run in parallel.

Only through a qualifying link to a member country. A Madrid applicant must be a national of, domiciled in, or have a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment in a member. A company that is only Bangladeshi cannot currently file. Groups with a genuine subsidiary or establishment in a member country, such as the UK, an EU state or the UAE, may file through that entity, using a base application there. The ownership, licensing and tax consequences must then be planned, because the overseas entity will own the international trade mark registration. Trade mark registration abroad then needs coordination.

For five years from the international registration date, the international registration depends on the base application or registration in the office of origin. If the base mark is refused, cancelled or limited during that period, the international registration is cut back to the same extent in every designated country. That is often called central attack. Owners can transform affected designations into national applications within a limited time, keeping the original date, but at extra cost. We therefore check that the base mark is strong and broad enough before the international application is filed. Careful base filings reduce this risk.

The sale agreement should list every trade mark registration and application by country, and the buyer should check eligibility to hold any international registration. Under Madrid, the change of ownership is recorded with the International Bureau for some or all designated countries, and national registrations, including Bangladesh filings, are recorded at each office using local forms and evidence. Partial transfers by goods or territory are possible but need care. We prepare the assignment, a recordal checklist and the closing deliverables so the buyer can enforce and renew the brand from day one. Delays in recordal can block renewals.

Timing depends on examination workload, objections, publication and whether anyone opposes. A straightforward application can still take a considerable time from filing to registration, and contested files take longer. Rights are generally treated as dating from the filing date once registration is granted, so early filing is important. We monitor the application, respond to objections promptly and advise on interim steps, such as confidentiality and contract protection with distributors, while the trade mark registration is pending. We give a realistic estimate at the start rather than a promise the office cannot keep. Filing early remains the best protection.

A provisional refusal means the designated office has found an obstacle under its own law, such as an earlier conflicting mark, an unacceptable specification or lack of distinctiveness. It applies only in that country, and the international registration continues elsewhere. The owner usually responds through local counsel within a fixed time limit, by argument, evidence, amendment or agreement with the earlier owner. We coordinate the response, assess whether the market justifies the cost and update the portfolio schedule with the outcome, so the brand team always knows where the brand stands. Each response is costed before filing.

Yes, in most countries a registered mark becomes vulnerable to cancellation if it is not used for a continuous period set by local law, and use must usually be genuine and for the registered goods or services. Bangladesh law also allows non-use challenges. Owners should keep dated evidence of use in each market, such as invoices, packaging, advertising and online listings, and review whether the mark is used in the registered form. We organise evidence files and advise on refiling where a business has changed its logo or range. Non-use rules differ between markets, so local checks matter.

Licences should match the registrations: the same owner, marks, goods and territories. In Bangladesh, recording a licensee or registered user can support enforcement and the payment of royalties abroad, which also involves foreign exchange rules, Bangladesh Bank reporting and withholding tax. Under Madrid, licences can be recorded for some designated countries. Quality control clauses help preserve the mark and its reputation. We draft the licence and the recordal filings together, so that the trade mark registration portfolio and the commercial arrangements support each other rather than conflict. A recorded licence also helps evidence use of the brand.