BTCL .bd Domain Policy Explained in Plain English

Registry policy documents are written for lawyers. This is what BTCL's .bd rules mean in practice, for someone who just wants to register a domain and keep it.

This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. The authoritative text is on our registration policy page and BTCL's own publications.

Who's in charge of what

One consequence worth understanding: prices and eligibility rules come from BTCL. No reseller can discount below the registry rate or waive a document requirement, because neither is theirs to change.

Eligibility: the Bangladeshi presence requirement

.bd is a country-code namespace, so registrants must demonstrate a connection to Bangladesh. In practice:

• Bangladeshi individuals — NID or passport.
• Bangladeshi businesses — trade licence.
• Organisations — registration certificate from the relevant authority.
• Foreign entities — through a local representative who provides their own documentation and acts as the registrant contact.

Certain extensions narrow this further: .com.bd is commercial-only, .edu.bd is for recognised educational institutions. The full matrix is on the documents page.

Verification: the three-day rule

The rule that catches most registrants:

1. You register and pay. The domain is created with BTCL and resolves immediately.
2. You have three days to submit valid identity documents.
3. We review them, typically within 24–72 hours on business days.
4. If valid documents don't arrive in time, the domain is suspended.

What you're actually buying

A domain registration is an exclusive right to use a name for a defined period, renewable indefinitely. It is not a freehold purchase of a piece of property, and that's true of every domain everywhere, not a .bd peculiarity.

In practice this means:

• You control the name for as long as you keep renewing.
• Nobody else can register it while your registration stands.
• You can transfer it to another registrar, or to another registrant.
• Let it lapse and the right ends — the name returns to the pool.

Restricted names

Some names can't be freely registered:

• Government and official terms — reserved for the relevant bodies, generally within .gov.bd.
• Registry-reserved strings — a technical reserve list.
• Trademarks you don't hold — registering another party's protected brand invites a dispute.
• Names contrary to public policy — offensive or unlawful terms.

Trademarks are the one that affects ordinary businesses. Registering [wellknownbrand]bd.com.bd because it might attract traffic is a bad trade: you're likely to lose the name, and you'll have built on it in the meantime.

Disputes

Where a registration is alleged to infringe someone's rights, there's a resolution process. The realistic picture:

• If someone registered your trademark, a documented, registered trademark is your strongest position — and start with a direct approach before escalating.
• If someone disputes your registration, respond promptly and evidence your legitimate interest: your trade licence, your trading history under the name, your own trademark.
• Disputes are slow. Registering a defensible name in the first place is far cheaper than winning one back.

A domain being registered by someone else is not, by itself, grounds for a dispute. First-come, first-served is the rule, and someone getting there before you is simply the system working as designed.

Your ongoing obligations

Registration isn't a one-off transaction. You're expected to:

• Keep registrant details accurate. Update them when your business name, address or contact changes.
• Maintain valid documentation. A trade licence that lapses can surface as a problem at renewal.
• Renew on time. The registry has no obligation to preserve a lapsed name for you.
• Use the domain lawfully. Content that breaches Bangladeshi law is your responsibility.

Registration periods

• Direct .bd — up to 4 years per registration.
• All other .bd extensions — up to 10 years.

Both are renewable indefinitely. See how to renew a .bd domain.

Transfers

Two distinct things get called "transfer", and it's worth keeping them separate:

• Changing registrar — the domain moves to a different provider; the owner stays the same. Requires an EPP code. See how to transfer a .bd domain.
• Changing registrant — the owner itself changes. Requires documentation from both parties. See how to change ownership of a .bd domain.

The short version

Register a name you have a legitimate claim to, submit accurate documents within three days, keep your details current, and renew on time. Do those four things and the policy will never be something you have to think about again.

The full text is on our registration policy page; document specifics are in documents required to register a .bd domain.