Fixed-fee pack · NGOs and INGOs
NGO registration renewal, approvals and close-out in Bangladesh
For NGOs and INGOs facing funding cuts: we handle NGO registration renewal and project approvals with the NGO Affairs Bureau, or a lawful close-out covering staff, final dues, donor reporting and assets.
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Who this is for
Why it matters now
NGO registration renewal
NGO registration renewal now follows amended rules. The Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation (Amendment) Act 2026 (Act No. 54 of 2026) replaced the registration, project approval and foreign personnel sections of the 2016 Act, and repealed the interim government's Ordinance No. 77 of 2025 while treating actions under it as valid [1][3]. Certificates last 10 years, renewal must be sought six months before expiry, and the Bureau reviews the previous five years of activity, though an organisation may keep operating while a timely renewal application is pending [1].
Project rules have shifted too. Foreign grants still need Bureau project approval, and administrative costs are capped at 20 per cent of approved expenditure [1]. An NGO receiving up to Tk 50 lakh a year no longer needs Bureau approval, but must notify the Bureau of its works and areas in advance and file an audit report by a Bureau-listed firm [1]. Emergency relief projects can now be approved, with funds released, within 72 hours [1]. The appeal period against Bureau orders changed from 30 working days to 45 days [1][2].
For many organisations the harder question is closure. When funding ends, staff who are workers under the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, as amended by Act No. 43 of 2026 [5], are entitled on retrenchment to one month's written notice or wages in lieu, with copies to the Chief Inspector and any collective bargaining agent, and compensation of 30 days' wages per year of service or gratuity, whichever is higher [6]. Final dues must be paid within 30 working days [7]. On cancellation, expiry or abolition, residual assets go first to the foreign donor [2].
What is included
What our ngo registration renewal service includes
We review your certificate, renewal date, past project approvals, fund-release orders and annual reports to confirm your standing with the NGO Affairs Bureau and flag gaps before an application or closure begins.
We prepare the renewal application with supporting documents, the prescribed fee and a summary of the previous five years of activity, file it at least six months before expiry and handle Bureau queries.
We prepare project proposals, revisions and fund-release requests, apply the 20 per cent administrative cost limit and, for grants within the Tk 50 lakh threshold, the advance notification and audit route [1].
We handle security clearance applications for foreign advisers, experts and officers on approved projects, within the person-months set in the approved proposal, and follow them through the Home Ministry stage [1].
We confirm which staff are workers under the Labour Act, prepare retrenchment notices and Chief Inspector copies, calculate compensation, gratuity and provident fund dues, and plan payment within the 30 working day deadline [7].
We manage final reports and audits for the Bureau and donors, termination of leases and supplier contracts, and the closure or transfer of the mother account and other bank accounts.
We prepare a lawful plan for vehicles, equipment and residual funds, with donor and Bureau approvals, so assets pass to the donor, a similar NGO or the government as the law and grant terms require [2].
How it works
NGO registration renewal, step by step
- Initial consultationWeek 1
Book a 30-minute associate consultation for a straightforward renewal or project filing, or a 40-minute founding partner consultation for a closure or retrenchment. We confirm the scope and the fixed fee in writing before work starts.
- Document and compliance reviewStage 1
We review your registration, approvals, accounts, staff contracts and grant agreements and give you a written plan to renew, restructure projects or close, with the deadlines and Bureau steps each option needs.
- NGO registration renewal or project filingsStage 2
We file the renewal, project or clearance applications, track them with the Bureau and answer Bureau or ministry questions until the certificate, approval or fund-release order is issued, keeping you updated in writing.
- Staff retrenchmentIf closing
We prepare retrenchment notices, consultation records and settlement calculations, and support your HR team in staff meetings so that notices and final payments meet the Labour Act requirements and timelines.
- Close-out and asset transferFinal stage
We complete final reporting, donor and Bureau approvals for asset transfers, lease and contract terminations and bank account closure, then hand you a complete close-out file for donors, auditors and the governing body.
Renewal and project filings are a fixed fee per application. A close-out is a fixed fee per phase, driven by the number of staff, projects, offices and assets. Bureau, registration and audit fees are passed through at cost, and staff settlement amounts are paid by you directly. Every fee is confirmed in writing before work starts.
We confirm the fee in writing before any work starts. Government fees, court fees and stamp duty are passed through at cost.Questions
NGO registration renewal: questions
When should we apply for NGO registration renewal?
At least six months before your certificate expires. Under the 2026 amendment, registration and renewal certificates are valid for 10 years, renewal applications must be made six months before expiry with the prescribed fee, and the Director General reviews your documents and the previous five years' activities [1]. If you apply in time, you may continue your activities after expiry until the application is decided [1]. A late application loses that protection, so we start preparing well ahead of the deadline.
What changed with the 2025 Ordinance and the 2026 Act?
The Council of Advisers approved the draft amendment in November 2025 [4], and Ordinance No. 77 of 2025 was published on 11 December 2025 [3]. The elected parliament then passed the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation (Amendment) Act 2026, Act No. 54 of 2026, which repealed the Ordinance and treats actions under it as done under the Act [1]. Key changes include the Tk 50 lakh small-grant route, 72-hour emergency approvals, an institutional support fund and a reconstituted government and NGO advisory council [1].
Do small grants still need NGO Affairs Bureau approval?
An NGO receiving up to Tk 50 lakh a year does not need Bureau approval under the amended section 6, but it must notify the Bureau in advance of all its works and areas, and submit an audit report by a Bureau-listed audit firm after the project ends [1]. Registration is still required to receive foreign grants for voluntary activities [1]. Mixing exempt and approved grants in one budget can cause reporting problems, so we map each grant to the right route.
What do we owe staff if a project closes?
For workers under the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 with at least one year's continuous service, retrenchment needs one month's written notice stating the reason, or wages in lieu, copies to the Chief Inspector and any collective bargaining agent, and compensation of 30 days' wages per year of service or gratuity if higher [6]. Where a class of workers is retrenched, the most recently appointed goes first unless otherwise agreed [6]. Final dues are payable within 30 working days [7]. We check each person's status and contract first.
What happens to our funds and assets when we close?
Under section 16 of the 2016 Act, after cancellation, expiry or abolition the Director General, with government permission, can restrain banks and others from transferring the organisation's funds or property, and an administrator may be appointed [2]. After debts are paid, residual funds or assets go first to the foreign donor and, if that is not possible, to a government account or a similar NGO [2]. Planning transfers with the donor and the Bureau before closure helps avoid frozen accounts.
Can we appeal if the Bureau refuses or cancels?
Yes. The 2016 Act provides an appeal against Bureau orders to the Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, whose decision is final [2]. The 2026 amendment changed the appeal period in section 17 from 30 working days to 45 days [1]. Because the window is short, instruct us as soon as an adverse order arrives. Where the appeal route is exhausted or unsuitable, a writ petition may be possible, but that is quoted separately.
Sources
- Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation (Amendment) Act 2026 (Act No. 54 of 2026): Laws of Bangladesh
- Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act 2016, English text (ICNL)
- Bangladesh Gazette Extraordinary, 11 December 2025: Ordinance No. 77 of 2025
- Dhaka Tribune, 29 November 2025: Govt simplifies NGO registration process
- Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2026 (Act No. 43 of 2026): Laws of Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, section 20: retrenchment
- Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, section 30: period for payment of final dues
Related
Start with a consultation
Tell us the facts and deadlines. We will confirm scope, fee and timeline in writing before we begin.
General information on the law of Bangladesh, not legal advice. Sending an enquiry does not create a lawyer-client relationship.