eSignature Legality in Bangladesh

E-Signature Legality Summary

This guide explains the electronic-signature framework in Bangladesh, including the governing laws, legal effect, accepted signature methods, validity requirements, exclusions and practical business uses.

Applicable Laws

Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006 (Act No. 39 of 2006), as amended

Legal Status

Electronic records and signatures receive legal recognition in Bangladesh under Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006 (Act No. 39 of 2006), as amended. The signing process must also satisfy every document-specific rule on identity, evidence, delivery, retention, witnessing, notarization, registration or filing.

Regulatory Authority

The Controller of Certifying Authorities under Bangladesh's ICT Division administers the certification-authority framework.

Legal Recognition (Effect)

The legal effect of an electronic signature is assessed under Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006 (Act No. 39 of 2006), as amended. The assessment covers signer intent, reliable attribution, integrity of the signed record and compliance with every prescribed form for the document or transaction.

Accepted Types of Electronic Signatures

Use the signature method and assurance level defined by the governing law for the relevant document and transaction. The implementation review should distinguish:

• an electronic action that records the signer's intent, such as typing a name or selecting an agreement control;
• a process that adds verified identity, exclusive control and tamper-evident evidence; and
• a certificate-based or regulated signature where the law or receiving authority prescribes that method.

Legal Requirements for Electronic Signatures

A legally effective signing process should preserve evidence of:

• the signer's intention to sign and the parties' consent to use an electronic process;
• reliable identification and attribution of the signature to the signer;
• integrity of the signed record and detection of later changes;
• delivery of, access to and reproduction of the final signed record;
• timestamps, authentication events and a complete audit trail; and
• every certificate, witness, notarization, registration, filing or retention requirement that governs the transaction.

Limitations and Exceptions

Before using an electronic signature, classify the document and complete each prescribed formality. The review must cover:

• documents excluded by the governing electronic-transactions legislation;
• wills, family-law instruments and succession documents governed by special form rules;
• deeds, real-estate transfers, notarized instruments and registrable documents;
• court filings, public-authority forms and regulated notices; and
• sector rules for financial services, healthcare, employment, consumer transactions and cross-border use.

Industry Applications and Typical Use Cases

Electronic signatures support commercial contracts, sales and procurement, employment documentation, internal approvals and customer onboarding when the governing document and sector rules are satisfied.

For regulated or cross-border workflows, record the governing law, required assurance level, signer-authentication method, evidence package, retention period and receiving-party requirements before launch.