Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and City Bank Capital Resources Limited (CBCRL) have entered into a strategic partnership to develop and promote Orange Bonds, Orange Sukuk and other thematic sustainable finance instruments in Bangladesh.
The announcement was made in Dhaka on 16 February 2026, according to a statement.
The partnership brings together IIX’s global experience in gender-lens investing and impact structuring and CBCRL’s domestic capital market presence and investor access to mobilise capital for inclusive and resilient growth.
As Bangladesh transitions toward developing nation status and concessional finance declines, diversified market-based capital will be essential, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and women-led enterprises that drive employment and economic inclusion.
Orange instruments, including Orange Bonds and Orange Sukuk aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, are designed to channel domestic and international capital toward gender-focused and climate-aligned outcomes across sectors such as agriculture, financial services, infrastructure, manufacturing and MSMEs.
The instruments are guided by the Orange Bond Principles and aligned with international sustainable finance frameworks.
Under the partnership, IIX and CBCRL will support issuer readiness through structuring and advisory, engage domestic and international investors, work with regulators and ecosystem stakeholders, advise on complementary thematic bonds and Sukuk, and promote market awareness and education.
“Bringing Orange Bonds to Bangladesh is not just about innovative finance, but about introducing a powerful driver for empowering women and communities to transform underserved sectors,” said IIX Founder and CEO Professor Durreen Shahnaz.
She said the initiative aims to mobilise global capital toward gender equality, climate action and economic resilience and drive systemic change for an inclusive and sustainable future.
“Partnering with strong capital market institutions like City Bank Capital will be critical to accelerating this systemic shift and engaging with the private and public sectors to jointly build a more resilient financing ecosystem,” she added.
City Bank Capital Resources Limited Managing Director and CEO Md Sohel Haque said the collaboration aims to scale sustainable finance in Bangladesh and unlock capital for SMEs and women-led enterprises.
The partnership is expected to support a shift toward market-driven development finance, beginning with issuer readiness, investor engagement and regulatory dialogue for future Orange Bond and Sukuk issuances.
Founded in 2009, IIX operates in 60 countries and has mobilised $500 million in private capital, impacted more than 185 million lives, avoided over 1.9 million metric tons of carbon emissions and collected more than 90,000 data points on MSMEs globally.
City Bank Capital Resources Limited is an investment bank providing corporate advisory, capital raising, structured finance and sustainability-focused issuances while supporting responsible investment and development of Bangladesh’s capital market.
