The Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) is the sole authority which facilitates formation of companies etc.; and keeps track of all ownership related issues as prescribed by the laws in Bangladesh.

The Registrar is the authority of the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, Bangladesh.

RJSC deals with the following types of entities:

Companies and Trade Organizations: Companies Act, 1994 (Amendment of Companies Act 1913)

After the partition of India, the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies & Firms under the Ministry of Commerce was first set up in Chittagong, the port and 2^nd biggest city of Bangladesh with some files and records of Companies, Associations (Trade Organizations) and partnership firms received from Kolkata, India. The office was transferred to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh in 1962. Currently there are around 110,000 entities registered under RJSC.

The divisional offices at Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi are run under the administrative control of the Registrar with one (1) Assistant Registrar being In-Charge of the respective divisional office. The present RJSC organogram has provision of thirty nine (39) staff distributed as under:

In near future four (4) more divisional offices will be setup at Sylhet, Barisal, Bogra and Comilla. Manpower will then increase from present 39 to 58, with distribution as 20 in Dhaka, 10 in Chittagong and 4-6 in each office of Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Barisal, Bogra & Comilla.

To incorporate Companies (including Trade Organization), Societies and Partnership Firms under the respective Companies Act 1994, Societies Registration Act 1860 and Partnership Act 1932, and

To administer and enforce the relevant statutory provisions of these acts in relation to the incorporated companies (including Trade Organization), societies and partnership firms.

: This is a pre-requisite for registration of a new company (other than Foreign Company) or a society or a trade organization.

Promoters of a new entity (company, society or trade organization) apply for, and RJSC provides name clearance for one of the proposed names upon satisfaction that it does not closely match or resembles with any of the already taken names (registered, booked or under the process of registration of the same entity type)

: Promoters of a new entity apply for, and RJSC issues a certificate of incorporation for a new entity upon satisfaction that the application conforms to the provisions of the applicable act and that requisite fees are paid.

: Registered entities are to file returns in prescribed forms & schedules, and RJSC upon satisfaction approves and archives such records. There are two (2) types of returns, viz.,  ‘Annual Returns’ and ‘Returns for any Change in the Entity’

: Anyone can apply for certified copy of record(s) of an entity. In response to any such application and after getting requisite payment, RJSC issues certified copy of the historical records of an entity. Profit & loss account is however open to only authorized personnel of the respective entity.

: A company having resolved to or the court makes an order or Memorandum & Articles of Association provide so for winding up of the company, submits to RJSC documents of winding up procedures and dissolution.

: RJSC strikes off the Register a company’s name if it is not in operation any more.