Serviced Office and Coworking Space in Uttara, Dhaka
A serviced office is a fully fitted workspace that a provider owns, staffs and maintains, then lets to another company on a short written agreement. PayrollBD runs one from House 47, Ravindra Sarani, Sector 3, Uttara, Dhaka 1230. Desks, internet, meeting rooms and a staffed reception are already in place on the day the agreement starts.
What is a serviced office, and when does it fit?
A serviced office suits a company that needs to be working in Dhaka before it can justify a lease, a fit-out and a facilities team. It fits three cases in particular: a foreign company entering Bangladesh without an entity, a project team that exists for a fixed period, and a small office that must be able to change size without renegotiating a building. The four points below set out what changes in each case.
1. A short written agreement
A serviced office is taken on a term agreement rather than a multi-year commercial lease, so the space can grow or shrink with the headcount it holds. PayrollBD states its own minimum term once, in the lease section below, and does not vary it by enquiry.
2. Cost-effective, no downtime
Companies only pay for the space in the office and most of the furniture is pre-installed. There will be no downtime when you are moving.
3. Access to all the facilities needed
Due to the standard facilities of a serviced office include a fully staffed reception desk, kitchen, lunch area, cleaning and maintenance services, meeting rooms and cyberspace. Companies can also use additional services and facilities on demand.
4. A first address in a new market
A company entering Bangladesh usually needs a working address before it has an entity, a bank account or a local team. A serviced office supplies that address and a place to sit on the same day, so market entry is not held up waiting for a fit-out.
What is included in the Uttara workspace?
Four things are installed before a client arrives and are not charged for separately: the internet connection, meeting rooms booked on request, the reception that answers calls and mail, and daily cleaning. The agreement term is the only item that varies, and it is stated in full below.
| Item | Provided by PayrollBD | Kept by your company |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace | Furnished desk or private room, ready on the start date | Who sits there and for how long |
| Internet | Connection and its upkeep | Your own devices, accounts and data |
| Meeting room | Room released on request | Scheduling and who attends |
| Reception | Calls, mail and visitors received in your company name | The script the receptionist follows |
| Cleaning | Daily service to the suite | Nothing |
| Address | House 47, Ravindra Sarani (Road 15), Sector 3, 8th Floor, Uttara, Dhaka 1230 | Confirming which filings may carry it |
| Setup time | 24 to 48 hours from the signed agreement | Naming the people who need access |
The last row is the one most enquiries turn on. Whether a serviced office address may appear on a statutory filing depends on the filing and on the office that receives it: company records sit with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, while a foreign investment or branch permission sits with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority. PayrollBD does not state a blanket answer here, because the correct one changes case by case. It is confirmed in writing before the agreement is signed by the same team that runs our corporate secretarial services and compliance consulting. Reviewed by Eicra Binte Islam.
Serviced office, virtual office or a lease?
Three arrangements are often compared under one name, and they answer different questions. A serviced office gives people a place to sit. A virtual office gives a company an address and a reception without desks. A conventional lease gives a company the building and every duty that comes with it. The table sets each one against the questions that decide between them.
| Question | Serviced office | Virtual office | Conventional lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do people sit here daily? | Yes, the desks are yours | No, the address only | Yes |
| Who fits out the space? | PayrollBD, before you arrive | Does not apply | Your company |
| Who runs cleaning, internet and reception? | PayrollBD | Reception and mail only | Your company |
| How long is the commitment? | A written term agreement | A written term agreement | Usually several years |
| When can work start? | 24 to 48 hours after signing | 24 to 48 hours after signing | After the fit-out is finished |
If nobody needs to sit in Dhaka, the address on its own is the cheaper answer, and that is covered on our virtual office in Dhaka page. If people are being hired before the company has a Bangladeshi entity, the employment side is handled under employer of record and the desk sits alongside it.
What you supply before the start date
- The company name to be used — the reception answers calls and receives mail in that name, so it is fixed before the first day.
- A named list of people needing access — building access is issued per person, and this is the only step that can delay a 24 to 48 hour start.
- The start date and the term — both are written into the agreement, and the term is not varied afterwards by enquiry.
What do buyers ask before booking a serviced office?
A small business gets a working office without the three commitments a commercial lease carries: a multi-year term, a fit-out paid up front, and a facilities team to run it. The trade is control. The provider decides the building, the cleaning schedule and the shared areas, so a company that needs its own reception or its own security arrangement is usually better served by a conventional lease.
We provide furniture based on the number of people for a suite. So PayrollBD’s clients are able to bring their own furniture. Alternatively we can help you to rent or purchase additional furniture at a competitive price.
The reception answers in your company name, following the wording you supply. Calls are passed on, taken as a message, or handled from a short script, whichever you set. Mail and visitors are received the same way. You give the instruction once at the start of the agreement and can change it in writing at any time.
A serviced office suite at PayrollBD is ready for use within 24 to 48 hours of the signed agreement, because the furniture, internet, telephone and access keys are already installed and are not ordered per client. The only step that varies is issuing building access for each named person.