Dhaka, July 16 -- Bangladesh Bank has introduced a structured framework to govern import transactions into Free Trade Zones (FTZs), aiming to facilitate trade while ensuring prudent risk management by banks, according to a circular issued on Thursday.

The Foreign Exchange Policy Department-1 (FEPD-1) circular directs all Authorized Dealers (ADs) and Offshore Banking Units (OBUs) to follow the new instructions when providing financial services for FTZ-related transactions, in line with existing foreign exchange regulations.

Under the framework, imports into FTZs can be undertaken by industrial enterprises engaged in manufacturing or export-oriented production, authorized importers on record, and licensed logistics service providers opera...