Dhaka, Bangladesh | 16 February 2026 – Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and City Bank Capital Resources Limited (CBCRL) have announced a strategic partnership to jointly develop and promote Orange Bonds, Orange Sukuk, and other thematic sustainable finance instruments in Bangladesh. The partnership combines IIX’s global expertise in gender-lens investing and impact structuring with CBCRL’s strong domestic capital markets presence and investor access to mobilize 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 MSMEs and women-led enterprises that drive employment and economic inclusion.

Orange Instruments, including Orange Bonds™ and Orange Sukuk, aligned with SDG 5: Gender Equality, are the world’s first cross-cutting asset class designed to channel domestic and international capital toward gender-intentional and climate-aligned outcomes across sectors such as agriculture, financial services, infrastructure, manufacturing, and MSMEs. These instruments are guided by the Orange Bond Principles™ and aligned with international sustainable finance frameworks.

Under the partnership, IIX and CBCRL will collaborate to:

• 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
• Promote market awareness and education

Professor Durreen Shahnaz, Founder and CEO of IIX, reflected, “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. By laying the foundations to mobilize global capital toward gender equality, climate action, and economic resilience, our partnership will help drive systemic change for an inclusive and sustainable future of Bangladesh. 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.”

Mr. Md. Sohel Haque, MD and CEO of City Bank Capital Resources Limited, said the collaboration aims to scale sustainable finance in Bangladesh and unlock capital for SMEs and women-led enterprises.

This partnership positions IIX and CBCRL 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.