ICT & software

What Brazil buys

BBCCI's sector list includes ICT and software, and its invitation for the next edition names software development, freelancing, business process outsourcing and digital services. The time zones work in Bangladesh's favour. Dhaka is nine hours ahead of São Paulo all year (UTC+6 and UTC−3), because Brazil stopped using daylight saving time in 2019 (Decree 9.772/2019). 08:00–10:00 in São Paulo is 17:00–19:00 in Dhaka, so a team in Dhaka can work on a request during the Brazilian night and hand it back by the start of the Brazilian working day. Monday to Thursday are working days in both countries.

Rules to know

Price with Brazilian taxes in mind. A Brazilian client pays 3.5% IOF on the foreign-exchange transaction for a foreign service invoice (Decree 6.306/2007, as amended by Decree 12.499/2025) and withholds 25% income tax on services paid to non-residents (Brazilian tax rules, Oct 2026); other contributions may apply. There is no Brazil–Bangladesh tax treaty to reduce that withholding. Personal data falls under Brazil's LGPD: a provider outside Brazil and the EU that processes data for a Brazilian client needs ANPD standard contractual clauses, mandatory since 23 August 2025. On the Bangladesh side, software and ICT exporters may keep 50% of repatriated proceeds in an ERQ account (Bangladesh Bank FEPD Circular 26, 30 July 2026).

How to win Brazilian buyers

Agree early who bears the withholding tax: a price quoted without it must be grossed up, and the buyer will compare offers on what they actually pay. Show that you are ready for the LGPD with a data-processing agreement that includes the ANPD clauses, and explain how you protect client data. Offer a fixed overlap window in São Paulo's morning and a named account lead who works in Portuguese or English. Propose a small, well-defined pilot that proves delivery before a larger contract. Maha Telecom represented the sector at the 2025 edition.