Before you start

Passport with a valid Bangladeshi visa
Work permit, BEPZA sponsorship or NGO Affairs Bureau approval, which most banks will want to see
A Chattogram address and, usually, an introducer or employer letter
A Taxpayer's Identification Number for some products

Step-by-step

1
Ask your employer which bank and which branch, and get an introduction
Bangladeshi banks operate an introducer convention and an employer's letter carries substantial weight. In Chattogram the established relationships sit in Agrabad and around GEC. Going through that channel converts a difficult process into a routine one, and it is the single highest-value thing you can do in week one.
Via employerWho: YouWeek 1
2
Open the taka account with the full document set
Passport, visa, work permit or zone sponsorship, employer letter, photographs, proof of address and the introducer's details. Bangladeshi KYC is thorough and a partial file becomes several visits. Ask the branch for its own checklist before the first trip.
In personWho: YouWeek 1–2
3
Use an Agrabad authorised dealer branch if any of your money moves internationally
Chattogram's AD branches handle the country's import documentation daily, which means the staff are fluent in inward remittance advices, foreign currency accounts and the paperwork that later justifies repatriation. That fluency is not evenly distributed across every branch in Bangladesh and it is worth seeking out.
In personWho: You
4
Consider a foreign currency account for external income
Foreign nationals may open private foreign currency accounts with authorised dealer banks. If any part of your salary or savings arrives from abroad, this is the appropriate home for it and it keeps the repatriation question simple.
In personWho: You
5
Check the NFCD minimum for your category before assuming eligibility
Non-Resident Foreign Currency Deposit accounts allow free repatriation of balance and accrued interest, but the minimum deposit differs sharply by applicant: substantially lower for individual non-resident Bangladeshis than for foreign nationals and foreign-registered firms, where the published figure is USD 25,000 or equivalent. Confirm the current threshold at the branch.
In personWho: You
6
Get a bKash or Nagad account for daily life
Mobile financial services are deeper here than in most middle-income countries and are used for everything from utility bills to paying a CNG driver. Registration is tied to a SIM and an identity document, so the SIM comes first.
Mobile appWho: You
7
Keep the paperwork on every inward remittance
In an exchange-controlled economy the documentation of money entering is the basis for money leaving. Ask the bank for the inward remittance advice on every substantial transfer and file it. It cannot be reconstructed later.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
Work permit, BEPZA sponsorship or NGO Affairs Bureau approval
Employer letter and introducer details
Proof of Chattogram address and photographs
Inward remittance advices, retained throughout

Things most newcomers don’t know

The NFCD minimum deposit for a foreign national is an order of magnitude above the non-resident Bangladeshi one.

NFCD accounts allow free repatriation of the balance and accrued interest, which makes them attractive. But the published minimums differ by category: around USD 1,000 or GBP 500 for an individual non-resident Bangladeshi, against USD 25,000 or equivalent for foreign nationals, foreign-registered firms and institutional investors. People read the lower figure in a general guide and plan around it. Confirm your own category's threshold with the bank.

Source: Bangladesh Bank; authorised dealer banks

Chattogram's banks handle trade paperwork daily, and that expertise is worth using deliberately.

This is the city where Bangladesh's letters of credit are opened and its customs clearance happens, so the authorised dealer branches around Agrabad process foreign currency and cross-border documentation as routine work rather than as an exception. For a foreign resident that means fewer blank looks when you ask for an inward remittance advice or a foreign currency account — but only if you bank where that work is done, rather than at whichever branch is nearest your flat.

Source: community-reported

Exchange controls mean the exit conversation starts at the entrance.

Bangladesh regulates foreign exchange through authorised dealer banks, and the practical ability to repatriate funds later rests on how they entered and which account held them. Inward remittance advices are the documentary evidence and cannot be reconstructed after the fact. This is the most common regret among people finishing a posting in Bangladesh: money brought in casually and then difficult to take out.

Source: Bangladesh Bank

Mobile financial services matter more day to day than which bank you chose.

bKash is among the largest mobile financial services platforms in the world by user count and Nagad is close behind. Utility bills, small merchant payments, transfers to a driver or household staff and much of the informal economy run through them, and penetration here is deeper than in most middle-income countries. Registration is tied to a SIM and an identity document, which makes the SIM the true first errand.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming the non-resident Bangladeshi NFCD minimum applies to you as a foreign national.
Opening at the branch nearest your flat rather than the one that does trade documentation.
Attempting to open an account without an employer introduction.
Failing to request and keep inward remittance advices.
Closing accounts before obtaining the tax clearance certificate you need to leave.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.