Before you start

Passport with a valid Bangladeshi visa
Work permit or NGO Affairs Bureau approval, which most banks will want to see
A Dhaka 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 they use and get an introduction
Bangladeshi banks operate an introducer convention for account opening and an employer's letter carries substantial weight. Multinationals, missions and the large NGOs all have established relationships with particular branches in Gulshan and Motijheel. Going through that channel converts a difficult process into a routine one.
Via employerWho: YouWeek 1
2
Open the taka account with the full document set
Passport, visa, work permit, 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 first.
In personWho: YouWeek 1–2
3
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 place for it and it keeps the repatriation question simple.
In personWho: You
4
Understand the NFCD minimum for foreign nationals
Non-Resident Foreign Currency Deposit accounts allow free repatriation of balance and accrued interest, but the minimum deposit differs 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. Check the current threshold with the bank before assuming eligibility.
In personWho: You
5
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 rickshaw. Registration is tied to a SIM and an identity document. It will change how you pay for things far more than the bank account does.
Mobile appWho: You
6
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 is not reconstructible later and it is what the bank will ask for.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
Work permit or NGO Affairs Bureau approval
Employer letter and introducer details
Proof of Dhaka 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.

Non-Resident Foreign Currency Deposit accounts allow free repatriation of the balance and accrued interest, which makes them attractive. But the published minimums differ sharply 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

The introducer convention is why an employer letter is worth more than any other document.

Bangladeshi banks conventionally require an existing customer or an institutional letter to introduce a new account holder, and this is not a formality that can be waved through. For a foreign national with no local network, the employer's relationship with a particular branch is the whole solution. Ask HR which bank and which branch on day one — it turns a process that can take weeks into one that takes days.

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 they cannot be reconstructed after the fact. This is the single most common regret among people finishing a posting here: money brought in casually and then difficult to take out.

Source: Bangladesh Bank

Mobile financial services here are deeper than the banking system and will matter more day to day.

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 a household helper, and much of the informal economy run through them. Registration is tied to a SIM and an identity document, which means it depends on getting the SIM right first. For daily life in Dhaka this matters more than which bank you chose.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming the non-resident Bangladeshi NFCD minimum applies to you as a foreign national.
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.
Skipping mobile financial services because you have a bank account.

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