Environment Clearance Certificate in Bangladesh
Industrialization is an important step towards sustainable economic development. However, industrialization may also inflict environmental degradation like air, water, and soil pollution. Therefore, the government of Bangladesh advocates for environmental management to reduce the harsh impacts of industrialization. It enacted the Bangladesh Environmental Conservation Act 1995 and Environment Conservation Rules 1997 for the protection of the environment and reducing pollution. It has also included article 18 A into the constitution of Bangladesh which states that the “state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to preserve and safeguard the natural resources, biodiversity, wetlands, forests, and wildlife for the present and future citizens.”
All industrial sites are categorized into one of the following with respect to their project and impact on the environment:
- Green
- Orange A
- Orange B
- Red
The frequency of the license renewal depends on the category of the industry. The Green category is required to renew their license every three years and the rest of the category is required to renew their license every year. The Environment clearance certificate is issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Documents Required
- Original NOC from local Authority
- Project profile from containing project details
- Layout plan
- Cadastral/Cadastre map with Daag and Khotiyan
- BIDA registration
- Rent Agreement or Document of Land ownership (whichever applies)
- Treaury Challan for fee payement
- Time Required
- Estimated processing time for issuance of Environment Clearance certificate is 1-5 months.
Government Fees
If the total investment of the project is between BDT 1 (one) to BDT 50 (fifty) crore the fee shall be between BDT 1500 (fifteen hundred) to BDT 50000 (fifty thousand). If the total investment is above 50 (fifty) crore the fee shall be BDT 100000 (one Lac).
Renewal Fee
If the total investment of the project is between BDT 1 (one) to BDT 50 (fifty) crore the fee shall be between BDT 375 (three hundred & seventy-five) to BDT 12500 (twelve thousand five hundred). If the total investment is above 50 (fifty) crore the fee shall be BDT 25000 (twenty-five thousand).