SAJIDA Foundation will issue Bangladesh’s first domestic Orange Bond, a Tk200 crore transaction aimed at mobilising gender-intentional and inclusive capital at scale, marking a significant step in the country’s capital market evolution.
Announced on Sunday in Dhaka, the planned issuance translates decades of development work into a market-based instrument aligned with international best practices.
To structure the bond, SAJIDA Foundation has partnered with Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), a global pioneer in sustainable finance and impact investing, and BRAC EPL Investments Limited (BEIL), one of the country’s leading investment banks.
The partnership is intended to establish a credible and scalable framework for gender-smart and climate-aligned financing within Bangladesh’s domestic debt market.
Proceeds from the Orange Bond will support women-focused and inclusive development enterprises across SAJIDA Foundation’s core sectors, including livelihoods, health, housing and financial inclusion, while attracting a diversified pool of local and international investors.
Under the transaction pathway, IIX will provide advisory support on the Orange Bond Framework and conduct an independent external review aligned with the Orange Bond Principles™, alongside post-issuance annual enterprise impact assessments.
BEIL will contribute its capital market expertise to strengthen issuer readiness, thematic bond structuring considerations and investor engagement, linking global standards with the local market context.
“This Orange Bond represents a defining moment for SAJIDA Foundation and for Bangladesh’s capital markets,” said SAJIDA Foundation CEO Zahida Fizza Kabir.
“By entering the domestic bond market with a gender-intentional instrument, we are demonstrating how development institutions can responsibly mobilise capital while remaining accountable to the communities we serve,” she added.
BRAC EPL Investments Limited CEO Syed Rashed Hussain said, “Orange Bonds present a timely opportunity to unlock capital for SMEs and women-led enterprises in Bangladesh.”
“This collaboration allows us to bring international best practices in impact finance into the domestic market, supporting sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” he added.
Impact Investment Exchange Founder and CEO Professor Durreen Shahnaz said the planned issuance will set a new standard for inclusive financial systems and transparency in the country.
“As a first-of-its-kind issuance, the Orange Bond will create a critical precedent for the financial ecosystem, accelerating Bangladesh’s journey toward an inclusive and sustainable economy,” she said.
Guided by the Orange Bond Principles™ and aligned with international sustainability standards, including International Capital Market Association Green Bond Principles, Social Bond Principles and Sustainability Bond Guidelines, the bond is expected to serve as a reference transaction for Bangladesh’s emerging thematic bond market.
As a first-mover issuance, it positions SAJIDA Foundation as a benchmark issuer and supports Bangladesh’s transition towards a more inclusive, resilient and market-driven development finance ecosystem.
