Alcohol regulations in Bangladesh

Licences needed

Distillery Licence or Brewery Licence under Section 10 of the Narcotics Control Act 2018, BSTI Certification Mark, Environmental Clearance Certificate, and Factory/Fire Licences

Authority

Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), Ministry of Home Affairs

Documents

Prescribed application form, land title/lease deeds, layout blueprints and plant engineering specifications, environmental impact clearance, trade licence, TIN/BIN certificates, and site security compliance reports

Fees

Tk 1,000,000 (establishment fee for a distillery under the Alcohol Control Rules 2022; recurring annual renewal fees apply)

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (state tourism authority), licensed duty-free operators (for diplomats and foreign remittance earners), and licensed clubs/hotels holding valid import authorizations for up to 40% of their approved alcohol quota

Licences or registrations

Import Licence / Quota Approval from DNC, and Import Registration Certificate (IRC) from the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports (CCI&E)

Authority

Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) and Ministry of Commerce

Documents

DNC import permit application, valid IRC, DNC bar or off-trade licence, membership register of permit-holding members (for clubs), proforma invoice, and tax compliance certificates

Fees

Varies by licence category and approved quota under the Alcohol Control Rules 2022 schedule

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required

yes

Process

Brand approval and label clearance must be obtained from the Director General of the Department of Narcotics Control before import, distribution, or sale. The label must incorporate mandatory statutory health warnings and conform to national packaging standards.

Authority

Department of Narcotics Control (DNC)

Documents and samples

Specimen labels, Certificate of Analysis from the country of origin, Certificate of Age and Origin, product specifications, and laboratory test samples

Fees

not confirmed

Renewal

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Under the Import Policy Order and Narcotics Control Act, commercial spirit imports are restricted. Importers of record must hold a specific DNC import quota permit. Individual consignments require import clearance passes and movement permits. Customs clearance requires a Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Chemical Analysis, and verification of DNC authorization. Transshipment within the country requires physical transit passes issued by the DNC.

Spirits under HS Heading 2208 are subject to a statutory Customs Duty (CD) of 25%, Regulatory Duty (RD) of 3% to 5%, Supplementary Duty (SD) ranging from 250% to 350% or higher depending on the specific tariff line, 15% VAT, 5% Advance Tax (AT), and 5% Advance Income Tax (AIT), resulting in a total tax incidence exceeding 400% to 600%.

Under the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act 2012 and Narcotics Control regulations, domestic and imported spirits are levied with high Supplementary Duty (up to 350%+), standard 15% VAT, and DNC excise/permit fees assessed per bottle or litre.

Strictly limited to DNC-licensed venues: graded international hotels (2 to 5+ stars), licensed private clubs (having at least 100 to 200 drinking permit holders), specialized bonded off-shops, and designated local country liquor distribution shops. Bangladeshi Muslims require a civil surgeon or associate professor medical prescription to obtain a drinking permit; non-Muslim citizens and foreigners require DNC consumer permits (or foreign passports for hotel bars). Permit holders are restricted to purchasing a maximum of 3 units at a time and 7 units per month. All alcohol vendors must remain closed on Fridays, national holidays, and major Islamic religious holidays.

banned

Mandatory bilingual (Bengali/English) health warning stating that alcohol consumption is harmful to health; exact alcohol strength (% ABV), brand name, liquid volume, country of origin, batch/lot number, manufacturer name and address, and required DNC regulatory/security stamps.

banned

Under Section 2(5) of the Narcotics Control Act 2018, 'alcohol' is legally defined as any spirit, wine, beer, or liquid containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume. Standards for distilled spirits (whisky, rum, gin, brandy) are administered by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), with typical nominal strengths for spirits set at 37.5%–42.8% ABV (75° proof).

Public consumption and unauthorized trade are strictly prohibited across the entire country. Sale licenses are only permitted in areas that have at least 100 registered liquor permit holders; geographic zones lacking licensed premises or hotels remain de facto completely dry.

• Legislative amendment to the Narcotics Control Act raised the maximum administrative penalty for violation of alcohol licence, permit, or transport pass conditions from Tk 1 lakh to Tk 5 lakh.
• Strengthened enforcement and scrutiny via dedicated narcotics tribunals and strict implementation of the Alcohol Control Rules 2022 quota mechanism limiting hospitality venues and clubs to a maximum 40% foreign import sourcing.

Opportunities for foreign spirits exporters are limited to supplying high-end international hotel chains, duty-free bonded outlets, and exclusive licensed private clubs within rigid quota allowances. Direct mass-market commercial distribution does not exist.

• Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), Ministry of Home Affairs
• National Board of Revenue (NBR)
• Bangladesh Customs
• Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI)

1. Department of Narcotics Control - Government of Bangladesh
2. Liquor License Bangladesh Legal Framework (TRW)
3. National Board of Revenue Customs Tariff Database
4. Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution
5. USDA FAS Bangladesh Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards