Council of Advisers approves Postal Service Ordinance 2026 to modernize Bangladesh Post with digital transformation measures. File photo

DHAKA, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS) - The Council of Advisers today gave final approval to the Postal Service Ordinance 2026, a new law aimed at digitally transforming Bangladesh Post, establishing e-commerce compliance and introducing a modern address management system.

The ordinance will replace the Post Office Act of 1898 and be enacted as the Postal Service Ordinance, 2026.
 
Under the ordinance, the maximum administrative fine for operating postal, courier, or parcel services without a valid licence has been increased from the previous Tk 50,000 (or Tk 200,000 in case of repeat offences) to up to Tk 10 lakh.

In addition to conventional postage stamps, the ordinance introduces digital postage stamps or e-stamping. Service recipients will be able to pay bills online and receive a secure digital QR code or barcode, which will have the same legal recognition as a valid postage stamp even when displayed on a separate printed medium or on any digital device.

Under the new law, all policies and rights under the Personal Data Protection Ordinance, 2025 will apply. 

Operators are required to use customers' data solely for service delivery, delete unnecessary data, and adopt technical and organisational security measures (such as encryption) to protect data from cyber attacks. 

The ordinance also provides for the operation and maintenance of a digital central logistics tracking platform and ensures interoperability among all commercial operators, enabling customers to easily access e-commerce tracking information.

In addition, the amended ordinance includes provisions for the storage and management of addresses of all citizens at individual and household levels. 

This will enable the creation of digital addresses, address-based family tree mapping and geo-fencing. The address data will be digitally archived with a defined permanent lifecycle. 

Such storage and management will also be carried out in a way that allows addresses to be accurately re-identified and re-established in cases where addresses are lost due to climate change, river erosion, or other migration-related causes (such as the disappearance and re-emergence of river islands or land reclamation).