Project Development & Finance — Bangladesh
From our London office at Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, WC1V 7QH, we advise international sponsors, lenders and developers on project development and finance matters involving Bangladesh. We combine cross-border structuring and capital markets experience from England & Wales with coordination of local counsel to address transactional, regulatory and commercial complexity.
Scope of transactional support
We advise on the full lifecycle of project transactions including market entry, project procurement (including PPPs), sponsor and construction documentation, project financing (commercial banks, export credit agencies, multilateral lenders), refinancing and secondary trading. Workstreams commonly include due diligence, allocation of construction and completion risk, insurance and force majeure, security packages and intercreditor documentation.
Key legal and commercial considerations
- Regulatory approvals and licensing: mapping required permits, foreign investment approvals and sectoral licences.
- Foreign exchange, repatriation and local currency convertibility risk: structuring mitigants and contractual protections.
- Tax and incentive regimes: evaluating incentive eligibility and withholding tax implications in transaction modelling.
- Land, tenure and permitting: site acquisition, lease structures and environmental permitting constraints.
- Dispute resolution and enforcement: choice of law, arbitration seat, and practical enforceability of security.
Working with local stakeholders and lenders
Successful projects require coordinated engagement with local counsel, lenders’ technical advisors, insurers and governmental stakeholders. We help design governance and reporting frameworks, sponsor consortia agreements, and lender-side documentation to align incentives while preserving enforcement options under cross-border security arrangements.
Practical checklist before signing
- Confirm regulatory approvals and any pre-conditions to financial close.
- Complete layered due diligence (corporate, regulatory, tax, environmental, land/title).
- Agree clear risk allocation in construction and O&M contracts, with performance security.
- Document foreign exchange and repatriation arrangements; assess sovereign/contractual support.
- Secure enforceable security package and verify registration requirements locally.
- Establish dispute resolution route and enforcement plan in multiple jurisdictions.
Jurisdiction and sources
For primary legal and regulatory information consult the relevant authorities and official guidance, for example:
- Bangladesh Bank
- Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA)
- National Board of Revenue (NBR)
- Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC)
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) country guidance
We do not provide country-specific legal advice in this summary. For transactions in Bangladesh we recommend early engagement with experienced local counsel and coordination with English & Welsh advisers for cross-border structuring and documentation.
General information only; not legal advice and not a substitute for advice on a particular matter.