Dhaka Bank Visa Signature Credit Card Review: Low Fee, BOGO Dining and the Fine Print

Dhaka Bank’s Visa Signature card has one of the lowest annual fees of any Signature-tier card in Bangladesh: BDT 7,000 plus VAT, and nothing at all if you spend BDT 3 lakh in a year. For that you get buy-one-get-one dining at 14 hotels, LoungeKey airport lounge access abroad, airport meet and assist and three free supplementary cards. The catch is that Dhaka Bank’s page leaves out several numbers you need to judge it properly. Here is what it says, what it does not, and who should apply.

How we reviewed this card

This review is based on Dhaka Bank’s Visa Signature credit card page, including its fees and charges section, and the bank’s published lounge FAQ documents, all checked in October 2026. We did not hold the card or test it on real spending. All cost examples are our own calculations from the published figures. Where the bank’s own material is unclear, out of date or contradicts itself, we say so.

The card at a glance

• Annual fee: BDT 7,000 + VAT (first year and renewal).
• Fee waiver: no renewal fee if you spend at least BDT 3,00,000 in a year.
• Supplementary cards: up to three free, each with a spending limit you set.
• Rewards: mileage points on retail spending, redeemable for privileges including cashback.
• Headline perks: round-the-year BOGO dining at 14 hotels, LoungeKey access to 1,000+ lounges abroad, Balaka lounge at Dhaka airport, airport meet and assist, 0% EMI through Swipe It, and Credit Shield insurance.
• Not published on the page: interest rate, credit limit range, income requirement and number of free LoungeKey visits.

Costs and fees in full

With 15% VAT, the annual fee is about BDT 8,050 a year (our calculation). That is less than half of DBBL’s World card and a fraction of City Bank’s Amex Platinum Reserve. Even better, the renewal fee disappears if your total spending for the year reaches BDT 3 lakh, which is about BDT 25,000 a month. Unlike some rivals, this waiver works on spending, not points.

Source: Dhaka Bank Visa Signature credit card page, fees and charges section.

What is missing matters as much as what is listed:

• No interest rate. The card page does not state the interest rate on purchases or cash advances. Many Bangladeshi banks charge around 25% a year on credit cards, but you should get Dhaka Bank’s exact rate in writing before you carry any balance.
• No foreign transaction markup. Most banks add a fee on non-USD spending abroad. Ask Dhaka Bank what it charges.
• No interest-free period. The page does not say how many interest-free days you get.
• Cash costs more than elsewhere at the low end. The minimum cash advance fee is BDT 250, compared with BDT 100 to 150 at several other banks.

For a general guide to card interest and minimum payments, see the real cost of a credit card in Bangladesh.

Rewards: mileage points

Dhaka Bank says Signature cardholders earn “extra mileage points”, then gives the rate as 1 point per BDT 50 of retail spending and says other cardholders also earn 1 point per BDT 50. As written, there is no extra. This is probably an error on the page, but until the bank clarifies it, assume the standard rate. Points can be redeemed for privileges including cashback; the page does not give a redemption table or the value of a point.

In practice, the card’s real reward is the fee waiver: spend BDT 3 lakh a year and the renewal fee is gone.

Dining: BOGO at 14 hotels, all year

This is the card’s strongest feature. Dhaka Bank lists round-the-year buy-one-get-one offers for Signature cardholders at:

Terms and conditions apply, and hotels can change their offers. A couple using a BOGO buffet once a month at an assumed BDT 6,000 per person would save about BDT 72,000 a year (our estimate), roughly nine times the annual fee.

The card also gives discounts at Dhaka Bank’s partner outlets and 0% instalments on high-value purchases through the bank’s “Swipe It” programme.

Travel and lounge benefits

LoungeKey abroad

Instead of Priority Pass, Dhaka Bank uses LoungeKey (Associate Plus). You enter participating lounges abroad by showing your Signature card and a same-day boarding pass and saying you are a LoungeKey member, so there is no extra membership card to carry. The page mentions both 1,000+ and 1,500+ lounges. LoungeKey also offers airport retail, spa and dining discounts, and its app shows your remaining visits.

The important number is missing: Dhaka Bank does not publish how many free LoungeKey visits you get or what extra visits cost. Check your allocation in the LoungeKey app or ask the bank before you rely on it.

Balaka Lounge at Dhaka airport

According to Dhaka Bank’s lounge FAQ, Visa Signature cardholders get 4 free visits a year to the Balaka lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, with up to 3 guests (a spouse and two children under 12). The allowance is shared between the primary and supplementary cardholders. Extra visits, and children over 12 or other guests, cost BDT 2,000 per visit, added to your statement. Note that this FAQ is dated October 2019, so confirm the current terms.

Meet and assist

A meet and assist service is available at the airport for arrivals and departures. You book it through the contact centre in advance. The page does not say how many times a year you can use it or how many people it covers.

Credit Shield insurance

Credit Shield is an insurance plan charged at 14.2 paisa per BDT 100 of outstanding balance each month, about 0.14% a month. On a BDT 1 lakh balance, that is about BDT 142 a month (our calculation). It covers cardholders aged 18 to 64, with cover ending at 65.

The covered illnesses are major cancers, stroke, first heart attack, serious coronary artery disease, heart valve surgery, primary pulmonary hypertension, end-stage lung disease, end-stage liver failure, fulminant hepatitis, kidney failure, coma, aplastic anaemia and major organ or bone marrow transplant. Because payouts are tied to your card balance, the cover is worth little if you pay in full every month.

Everyday features

• Cash withdrawal: up to 50% of your taka limit at Dhaka Bank and other Visa ATMs in Bangladesh, and up to 50% of your dollar limit at Visa ATMs worldwide.
• Supplementary cards: up to three free, with a spending limit you can set for each, which is useful for giving children a controlled allowance.
• Card cheques to pay rent, insurance premiums and other bills where cards are not accepted. The first cheque book is free.
• Payments by auto-debit from a Dhaka Bank account, internet banking or the Dhaka Bank Go app.
• Security: EMV chip, contactless payments, PIN for shop and ATM transactions, and OTP for online purchases.
• Service: free e-statements, transaction alerts (BDT 100 a year) and a 24/7 contact centre on 16474 or +8809678016474.

How it compares

Read our full reviews of the UCB Visa Signature, the DBBL Nexus Mastercard World and the City Bank Amex Platinum Reserve.

Who it’s for, and who should skip it

Good fit: people who want a Signature card mainly for hotel dining, spend around BDT 25,000 a month to keep it free, want several family cards with spending limits, and pay in full each month.

Poor fit: frequent international travellers who need generous, clearly defined lounge access, and anyone who might carry a balance before knowing the interest rate.

Ask Dhaka Bank before applying: the interest rate and interest-free period, the foreign currency markup, your free LoungeKey visits, the current Balaka lounge allowance, meet and assist limits, the real mileage point rate, and the credit limit range and income needed.

How to apply

You can apply through the form on Dhaka Bank’s Signature card page, which asks for your name, contact details, profession, age and monthly income, or visit a Dhaka Bank branch. Expect to provide your NID, photos, tax return proof and income documents such as salary certificates and bank statements.

This review is for general information only and is not financial advice. Fees, offers and terms change; confirm the current details with Dhaka Bank before applying.