Basis Membership Process for Software companies in Bangladesh

What is Basis?

In 1997, the Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (BASIS) had just 18 charter members as it began its future. Since its founding, BASIS, the national trade association representing Bangladesh’s software and IT-enabled services sector, has been essential to the growth of a thriving and long-lasting sector. There are currently about 1700 members of BASIS, and the number is growing at an exponential rate. BASIS attains a leading position that enables it to support the creation of policies and carry out a range of initiatives and actions aimed at the general advancement of this industry.

Software companies in the nation are required by law to become members of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Trade Organization sent a circular to BASIS to this effect.

Following a BASIS appeal, the circular was released in accordance with Article 13 of the Ordinance of the Trade Organization of 1963.

According to the circular, in order to conduct business in the nation, any software company must be a member of BASIS.

The process of membership

One of the main drivers of Bangladesh’s economic expansion is the country’s software and IT-enabled services (ITES) sector. Efficiency improvement is becoming more and more necessary in both the public and private sectors, and this can only be accomplished by properly implementing software and IT-enabled services. The local IT/ITES firms have demonstrated that they are capable of meeting these software and service requirements.

Since its founding, the Bangladesh group of Software & Information Services (BASIS), the premier national trade group for this industry, has worked to advance the interests of the nation’s software and ITES sectors. The accomplishment of BASIS can be explained by the fact that, from its founding in 1998 with just 18 charter members, the organization now has over 2,400 members. A significant portion of the money made by the software and ITES industries now goes to BASIS member businesses. A sizable percentage of small and medium-sized businesses who collaborate with BASIS for direction and ongoing support are also members. The most recent Government Gazette, published on September 02, 2020, states that any software or IT company operating in Bangladesh must be a member of BASIS in order to conduct business there and take part in any government or non-government procurement.

The goals and objectives of BASIS include facilitating trade and commercial development in the software and IT-enabled services sector; promoting research advances; and facilitating employment, education, and economic growth in Bangladesh. In keeping with these objectives, BASIS collaborates with the Bangladeshi government to develop laws and procedures pertaining to the software and ITES industries and provides a range of services to the country’s software and ITES community.
In order to establish an environment that is conducive to the software and ITES industries, BASIS has been collaborating closely with the government of Bangladesh. BASIS has been working with the government to improve communications infrastructure, create a tax framework that is favorable to the software business, and quickly address procedural bottlenecks.

Advantages for Members of BASIS: 

In addition to the benefits of policy lobbying, members receive special BASIS services. Various trade, company operation, and investment-related assistance to members with matters involving government agencies is one of these services.
exclusive access to training programs created just for BASIS members, as well as seminars, webinars, conferences, award ceremonies, business matchmaking sessions with local and international partners, and other events.
reduced service fees for all programs or events in comparison to those offered to non-members.

Additionally, BASIS is trying to secure preferential treatment for its members—including other ICT companies in Bangladesh—in government contracts.
Software and ITES exporting enterprises can use the cash incentive certificates that BASIS is offering to claim and earn a 10% cash incentive from the government based on the company’s export value.

Eligibility:

Any business operating in the software and IT-enabled services industry that is registered or incorporated in Bangladesh may apply for membership by submitting the following information:
Its primary function is the development of ITES and software, which it carries out for profit.
For general membership, the applicant company must provide a work order or business experience.

Membership Types: Associate Membership: Those with 0–2 years of operating experience. Children under the age of two are urged to apply for Associate Category Membership in the case of a new business or startup.

Those with at than two years of operational experience are eligible for general membership. Companies having three work orders and more than four (four) years of age are invited to apply for General Category Membership. Applications for General Membership will be accepted from long-standing organizations that have recently launched an IT venture.
Membership as an Affiliate: Digital content development and management, 2D and 3D animation, Geographic Information Services (GIS), IT support and software maintenance services, website hosting, digital data analytics, business process outsourcing, data entry, data processing, call center, digital graphics design and computer-aided design, search engine optimization, web document conversion, imaging listing, and archiving, overseas medical transcription, cyber security services, e-procurement and e-auction, cloud service, system integration, e-learning platform, e-book publication, mobile application development, and IT freelancing are among the types of businesses classified as ITES, according to the NBR’s SRO. Affiliate members would be those who work with businesses other than software and ITES.

COMDEX and Outsource World in the USA; CeBIT Germany, Australia & Thailand; SODEC and JAPAN IT Week in Japan; GITEX Technology Week in Dubai; Easyfair Denmark & Sweden; INDIA SOFT & Global Exhibition on Services (GES) in India; and WAN-IFRA Germany are just a few of the major international IT expositions in which BASIS has taken part over the past 24 years. In order to draw in international investment in Bangladesh’s technology sector, BASIS previously hosted the US-Bangladesh Tech Investment Summit and the Europe-Bangladesh Tech Investment Summit. These events were followed by business-to-business (B2B) meetings. Using the tagline “Bangladesh NEXT-your next IT destination,” BASIS attempted to penetrate the global market. In addition, BASIS has successfully carried out a number of donor-funded projects, such as the IT-Upgrade Project with EC support, the Bangladesh Information Technology Management Program (BITMAP) phase I and II with Danish Embassy support, the IT Outsourcing Export Coaching Program (ITO-ECP) and the Netherlands Trust Fund (NTF) II and III project with CBI Netherlands and ITC for export capacity building, SheTrades for women entrepreneurs’ capacity building with UKAID, the Skill Enhancement and Investment Program (SEIP) for human resource training with ADB and the Ministry of Finance, and a policy advocacy program with the Asia Foundation. BASIS has made outstanding efforts and contributions to the development of collaborations and relationships with the private sector and the government.

The following business platforms and sections need to be clarified for this category. Only companies that deal with the following sections will fall into the category:

Membership Enrollment Procedure:

The following steps must be taken in order to become a Member (General, Associate, Affiliate, and International) of BASIS:
Visit the BASIS website and register.
Complete the Membership Application Form.
It is required that member companies provide two references.
Terms and Conditions for the BASIS Membership Approval Referral Process: A special approval link will be sent to the referee company via email, and it will be active for 48 hours. Within 48 hours, the referee company may change its name if the applicant company is not approved. An email confirming the reference’s approval will be sent to the application company. During the session (48 hours), the applicant company must send an email to service@basis.org.bd requesting that the referee company’s name be changed.
Important Note: Regardless of whether they represent one or more companies, a person may only refer once on a single membership form.
The owner, director, or shareholder of the new member company cannot mention their own business if they are the BASIS representative from another company.
No new company may be mentioned by the BASIS Executive Council members.
4. Online payments for fees and payments can be made via the methods specified by BASIS.
5. Inspection of the Company.

Attach all the documents on the online form mentioned in the checklist:

Conditions:

All Papers must be attached with the online application form. After receiving the application form, the Membership Department of BASIS will check the documents and communicate with the applicant’s company for the official inspection. After the inspection, the application will be reviewed by the BASIS Membership Board Sub-committee. Then it will go to the BASIS Executive Council for final approval.