Dhaka Stock Exchange PLC (DSE) and BRAC EPL Investments Limited signed an agreement on Monday to facilitate electronic subscription of the Sajida Orange Zero-Coupon Bond through DSE's Electronic Subscription System (ESS), marking the first private bond to be offered through the platform to eligible investors.

Subscription for the bond on the DSE ESS platform will run from May 18 to May 23.

The signing ceremony was attended by DSE Managing Director Nuzhat Anwar, Sajida Foundation Deputy Chief Executive Officer Md Fazlul Hoque, and BRAC EPL Investments CEO Syed Rashed Hussain, along with other senior officials.

Speaking at the event, Nuzhat Anwar said building innovative and inclusive financing frameworks was critical to harnessing Bangladesh's demographic dividend. "Innovative instruments like orange bonds are opening new avenues for alternative financing in the capital market.”

Rashed Hussain said the Sajida Orange Bond was laying the foundation for an internationally benchmarked thematic bond market in Bangladesh. “The initiative would create a robust impact investment platform for domestic and foreign investors, ensuring both social impact and financial returns.”

He expressed hope that the bond's launch through the DSE platform will pave the way for similar issuances in the future.

Fazlul Hoque described the Orange Zero-Coupon Bond as a significant step towards investment-based financing for women.

The Sajida Orange Zero-Coupon Bond carries a total face value of Tk 158.50 crore. Of this, bonds worth Tk 75.73 crore in face value are being offered to eligible investors through DSE's ESS platform.

The bond is structured as a zero-coupon instrument across one-year, two-year, and three-year tenors, allowing investors to choose their preferred investment duration.