Bangladesh Association of Contact Center and Outsourcing (BACCO)
Definition
Bangladesh Association of Contact Center and Outsourcing
The Bangladesh Association of Contact Center and Outsourcing (BACCO) is Bangladesh’s national trade body for contact center, BPO, and IT-enabled service firms across the country, based in Dhaka and launched in 2011 to shape policy, back members, and grow exports.
Headquartered in Dhaka and recognised by the government as the official voice of the country’s outsourcing sector since its formal launch in 2011.
Founded in 2011, it speaks for over 350 member firms and coordinates policy, promotion, and export efforts for the sector.
BACCO works alongside the Bangladesh ICT Division to lobby for policy support, tax incentives, and export facilitation. It also runs the flagship BPO Summit Bangladesh, the country’s largest outsourcing industry event.
The association’s remit stretches from domestic call center operators to firms exporting knowledge and IT services abroad, giving it a broad platform to shape the sector’s growth story.
Key takeaways
- BACCO is Bangladesh’s official trade association for BPO, contact center, and IT-enabled service providers.
- It was founded in 2011 and now represents 350+ member companies across the country.
- BACCO co-runs the biennial BPO Summit Bangladesh with the ICT Division to attract foreign buyers.
- Sector revenue climbed from about USD 160 million to over USD 300 million between 2015 and 2018, a trajectory BACCO helped shape.
- Membership is tiered across general, associate, and affiliate levels, with voting rights reserved for general members.
How it works
Established in 2011 with over 350 member firms today, BACCO functions as the primary institutional link connecting Bangladesh’s outsourcing operators with policymakers. BACCO acts as the bridge between Bangladesh’s private outsourcing firms and the state.
It negotiates policy, packages the country’s talent story for foreign buyers, and pushes for tax breaks, export incentives, and stronger digital infrastructure so member firms can compete with India and the Philippines.
The body sits inside the government’s “Digital Bangladesh” agenda, which the United Nations Development Programme has tracked as a driver of youth employment. BACCO’s role is to translate that policy vision into contracts landing in Dhaka and Chattogram.
Day to day, BACCO handles three things — sector advocacy, member services, and export promotion.
It publishes salary and cost benchmarks, runs training partnerships, and organises trade missions to the US, UK, and Middle East. It also certifies firms so foreign buyers can vet capability before signing.
Membership structure
Membership sits in three tiers. General members are BPO or contact center firms operating in Bangladesh with full voting rights.
Associate members are IT service or call center firms with partial voting rights. Affiliate members are supporting vendors — training providers, hardware suppliers, connectivity firms — with no vote but full access to member events.
| Member tier | Who qualifies | Voting rights |
|---|---|---|
| General | Bangladeshi BPO or contact center operator | Full |
| Associate | IT service or call center firm | Partial |
| Affiliate | Vendor, trainer, supplier | None |
Fees scale with tier, and annual renewal requires proof of active operation. This structure keeps the voting base tied to firms with real skin in the outsourcing game.
Examples
BACCO’s footprint since 2011 spans four proof points spanning summits, flagship member firms, and third-party validation from bodies like the ITU and World Bank across 2018 and 2022. BACCO’s work shows up in concrete moments across the sector.
- BPO Summit Bangladesh. The 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 editions brought foreign buyers from over 20 countries to Dhaka, with BACCO handling the buyer-side matchmaking.
- Fair Connect and Genex Infosys. Two of BACCO’s largest general members — Fair Connect runs voice campaigns for domestic banks and telecoms, while Genex handles multilingual customer support for regional clients.
- ITU recognition, 2018. The International Telecommunication Union spotlighted Bangladesh’s outsourcing rise, a citation BACCO used to pitch the country as a viable nearshore and offshore destination for European buyers.
- World Bank Digital Bangladesh review, 2022. Cited BACCO’s member data in tracking the sector’s contribution to service exports, giving the association external validation for future policy asks.
Related terms
- Business Process Outsourcing (BPO): parent category covering any back-office function contracted to a third party.
- Contact Center: omnichannel operations handling voice, chat, email, and social customer touchpoints.
- Call Center: voice-only subset focused on inbound or outbound telephone campaigns.
- Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO): contracted delivery of software, infrastructure, or application support work.
- Offshoring: moving business functions to a distant country to cut cost or access talent.
- Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO): higher-skill outsourced work such as legal, research, and analytics.
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): cross-border capital flow BACCO courts to expand member firm capacity.
FAQ
What does BACCO stand for?
BACCO stands for the Bangladesh Association of Contact Center and Outsourcing. It is the national industry body for BPO, IT-enabled services, and contact center firms operating in Bangladesh.
When was BACCO founded?
BACCO was founded in 2011. It has since grown to represent more than 350 member companies and now co-organises the country’s largest outsourcing trade events.
Who can join BACCO?
Any Bangladesh-based BPO, contact center, IT service, or supporting vendor can apply. Membership tiers (general, associate, affiliate) determine voting rights and fee levels.
How does BACCO support the industry?
It lobbies government for policy and tax support, promotes members to foreign buyers, publishes cost benchmarks, and runs trade missions. It also partners with training bodies to grow the talent pool.
Why does BACCO matter to foreign buyers?
BACCO membership signals a vetted, active operator with real capacity. Buyers exploring Bangladesh as a lower-cost alternative to India or the Philippines can shortlist through BACCO’s directory rather than cold-searching the market.
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