Generally, yes, where sponsor or director shares are transferred, where a person acquires a significant shareholding or where control changes. IDRA also reviews the suitability of new directors and significant shareholders. For listed insurers, BSEC rules on disclosure, substantial acquisition and takeovers apply in parallel, and the stock exchange may be involved in the mechanics of the transfer. Lock-ins and minimum holding requirements for sponsors and directors can restrict what can be sold and when. We review the shareholding history and current rules before a deal is agreed, so that the insurance business transaction can actually complete as planned.

Foreign participation in the insurance business is possible in principle, but it is shaped by the Insurance Act 2010, IDRA policy and approvals, foreign exchange rules and, for listed companies, securities regulation. The scope for foreign ownership has differed between life and non-life insurance and has changed over time, so the current position must be checked for each proposal. Share transfers from residents to non-residents require compliance with Bangladesh Bank valuation rules. We advise foreign insurers and investors on the realistic routes available, including minority investment, partnerships and new licences, before significant time and costs are incurred.

Under IDRA bancassurance guidelines, banks can act as corporate agents distributing insurance products of partner insurers to their customers, subject to conditions on the number of partner insurers, staff training, disclosure, tied selling and complaints handling. Banks must also comply with Bangladesh Bank requirements. The commercial agreement between bank and insurer sets out commission, product scope, service standards, data sharing and responsibility for customer communications. We advise insurers and banks on negotiating these agreements and on approvals, so that the arrangement complies with both regulators. Banks should keep complaint logs and sales disclosures for bancassurance products.

Beyond the normal corporate checks, buyers need to review the insurer's licence conditions, solvency and capital position, reserves and actuarial reports, investment of policyholder funds, reinsurance programme, claims handling and backlog, related-party transactions, agent and distribution arrangements, IDRA inspection findings and directions, litigation and complaints. For life insurers, the treatment of policyholder funds and bonus declarations is particularly important. We coordinate legal due diligence with actuarial and financial advisers, and translate findings into pricing, warranties, indemnities, conditions and post-closing remediation plans. In practice, gaps in actuarial or claims data often matter more than corporate defects.

Yes. Non-life insurers must follow rules on reinsurance placement that have historically required a share of reinsurance to be placed with the state-owned reinsurer, with the balance placed with approved reinsurers abroad. The exact requirements, approvals and reporting obligations should always be confirmed against current rules for each programme. Large industrial, power, energy and infrastructure risks often involve fronting arrangements and international reinsurance markets. We advise insurers and reinsured parties on treaty terms, compliance with placement rules and dispute resolution, so that the insurance business is properly protected when large claims occur. Placement records should be kept carefully.

A platform that sells or arranges insurance generally needs to do so through an appropriately licensed insurer and within the agency or other distribution framework permitted by IDRA. Embedded insurance on e-commerce, ride-sharing, travel or mobile financial services platforms raises practical questions about who is the agent, how commissions are paid, what disclosures are needed and how customer consent and data are handled under the Personal Data Protection Act 2026. Mobile financial services providers also need to consider Bangladesh Bank rules. In each insurance business partnership we help platforms and insurers design compliant models before launch.

Mergers, amalgamations and transfers of insurance portfolios require IDRA approval and usually involve independent actuarial reports, notice to policyholders and, depending on the route, a scheme sanctioned by the High Court Division under company law. Listed insurers must also consider BSEC requirements. Policyholder protection is the regulator's central concern, so proposals must show obligations will continue to be met. We therefore advise on structuring, documentation and the approval process, and coordinate actuarial and accounting input, so that consolidation in the insurance business proceeds in a way that regulators can approve. Policyholder notices and regulatory filings should be planned together carefully.

IDRA can issue directions, impose penalties, require changes to management or boards and, in serious cases, take more significant steps. Such actions often follow inspections, complaints, solvency concerns or governance failures. A careful, factual response and a credible remediation plan can influence the outcome. Where a decision appears unlawful or disproportionate, review before the regulator or the courts may be possible. We support boards, sponsors and management in responding to regulatory action affecting an insurance business, protecting their position while keeping a constructive relationship with the authority. Deadlines in any regulatory notice should be diarised and tracked immediately.