Bangladesh
Bangladesh's 2023 copyright law removed the old UK-style freedom of panorama, and CAAB drone authorization is slow (reportedly 45 days) with security-agency clearances layered on top.
Guidance, not legal advice
Drone Authority
Check the flight side
Photography access and drone permission are separate questions. Drone Authority covers the flight-law side for this country.
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: No permit for casual street photography; government permission for foreign commercial productions, and CAAB plus Ministry of Defence clearance for any drone work
Personal photography needs no permit. Foreign film crews and commercial productions need government approvals; drone filming adds CAAB authorization and multi-agency security clearance. Plan long lead times.
Drone / airspace
Regulated by the CAAB; authorization requests are reportedly filed about 45 days in advance, camera-equipped drones need clearance even under 250 g, and zones near airports, government buildings, and VVIP areas require high-level security sign-off
Draft Drone Regulations (2024) formalize licensing for all but camera-free toy drones, with per-flight clearance from air defense and intelligence agencies. For depth, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes to photograph in public; Bangladesh has a strong street-photography culture
Crowded public scenes are lawful and normal to shoot. Avoid military installations, border areas, and government security buildings; ask before close portraits, especially of women.
Freedom of panorama
Restricted / unsettled (2023 law removed the FoP provision)
The repealed Copyright Act 2000 had a UK-model panorama provision (Section 72), but the 2023 Copyright Act dropped it in favor of US-style fair-use language whose reach is untested. Treat commercial images centered on copyrighted modern architecture or public art as legally uncertain. Historic subjects are out of copyright. Wikimedia Commons classifies Bangladesh as no-FoP under the 2023 Act.
Practical notes
- Dhaka's Old City, the Buriganga riverfront, and train stations are classic subjects; station and port authorities may still ask for permission for tripod or extended shoots.
- The FoP change is recent: images of modern landmarks (for example the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, a copyrighted Louis Kahn work) sold commercially carry new uncertainty.
- If a project needs drone aerials, start CAAB paperwork at least two months out and expect security vetting.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: