The application of circular economy (CE) is vital in achieving sustainable principles in the construction industry. However, despite all the significant benefits, CE implementation in developing countries, especially Bangladesh, is still lagging. As the eighth-most populous country with limited resources, implementing CE should be prioritized in the Bangladeshi Construction Industry (BCI) to reduce resource usage and waste generation while promoting sustainability. Although some studies have identified success factors (SFs) for CE implementation in Bangladesh, they mostly focus on industries other than BCI. Therefore, this study aims to address this research gap by identifying the SFs for effective CE implementation in the BCI. This study employed semi-structured interviews with industry professionals in Bangladesh and then the data were analysed via thematic analysis. The analysis indicates that the SFs for CE implementation in the BCI can be categorised into five (5) themes: education and awareness, market drivers, quality assurance, regulation and coordination, and technical aspects. The outcome of the findings is crucial as the SFs can serve as guidelines for the local authorities, policymakers, and professionals in implementing CE practices in the BCI. Besides, it can also attribute to some considerable factors in the pathway to achieving several sustainable development goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.