How many NGOs and charities are there in Bangladesh, and who registers them?
GiveRadar tracks 2,702 NGOs and charities in Bangladesh. They come from the NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB) register, kept under the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act. NGOAB registration is the authorization an NGO needs to receive foreign donations, so this is the foreign-funded subset of the sector, not every Bangladeshi charity.
In Bengali a registered NGO is a nibondhito NGO. Bangladesh is home to some of the world's largest NGOs, including BRAC and Grameen-linked organizations, alongside thousands of smaller local and international NGOs working across the eight divisions.
Is this a list of all NGOs in Bangladesh?
No. GiveRadar's Bangladesh page is the NGO Affairs Bureau register of NGOs authorized to receive foreign donations, not a complete list of every nonprofit. Many domestic charities that take no foreign funds never register with NGOAB.
Those domestic organizations register elsewhere: as societies or section 28 non-profit companies with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, as voluntary social welfare agencies with the Department of Social Services, or as trusts, and microcredit bodies also need a Microcredit Regulatory Authority licence (bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd).
How do you register an NGO in Bangladesh?
An NGO that will receive foreign donations must register with the NGO Affairs Bureau under the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act. Registration authorizes it to receive foreign funds and run approved voluntary activities, and it must be renewed.
An organization usually also holds a domestic legal form first, as a society, a section 28 company or a voluntary social welfare agency. Registration establishes the entity and subjects it to filing rules; it is not an independent rating of governance or effectiveness.
Are donations to Bangladeshi charities tax-deductible?
Donations are not automatically deductible just because the recipient is an NGO. Under the Income Tax Act, qualifying donations to approved organizations can be excluded from income, subject to documentation and generally a cap (nbr.gov.bd).
Tax treatment depends on National Board of Revenue recognition, the nature of the income and statutory conditions, so NGO registration alone does not make a gift deductible or an NGO tax-exempt. Confirm the current position before assuming relief applies.
How do you check a Bangladeshi NGO before you donate?
Check a Bangladeshi NGO in the NGO Affairs Bureau's published lists before giving, using its exact name or registration number. The lists show each NGO's registration number, renewal date and validity.
- Look the organization up in the NGOAB list of local and foreign NGOs.
- For a domestic body, check the RJSC or the Department of Social Services instead.
- For a tax deduction, confirm the recipient's status with the National Board of Revenue.
- Read the organization's own reports and donation terms. See GiveRadar's integrity score methodology for what each data point proves.
How can you donate to charities and NGOs in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh's NGOs work across community development, social services, health and education, with more than half of the foreign-funded ones based in the Dhaka division. Choose a cause deliberately, verify the recipient and use only payment details the organization itself publishes.
- Explore Bangladeshi NGOs by division and district, from Dhaka to Chattogram, and compare organizations serving the outcome you value.
- Confirm the recipient's NGOAB registration and, for a tax deduction, its status with the National Board of Revenue.
- Give through the organization's confirmed bank details, bKash or a secure, published payment channel.
- Keep the receipt. See GiveRadar's guidance for donors for more checks.