Pubali Bank Debt Investment (IFC-51230)

Regions
  • South Asia
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • Bangladesh
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Financial Institutions
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Approved
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
U
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Voting Date
Jun 29, 2026
Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.
Borrower
Pubali Bank PLC
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Construction
  • Energy
  • Finance
  • Industry and Trade
  • Transport
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Guarantee, Loan
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 190.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Loan Amount (USD)
$ 150.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 190.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ IFC website

Updated in EWS Jul 13, 2026

Disclosed by Bank Apr 13, 2026

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

As stated by the IFC, the proposed project consists of a debt investment of up to US$190 million in Pubali Bank PLC (“Pubali Bank” or the “Bank”), through three facilities, including: (1) an up to US$100 million IFC own account investment in a green bond to be issued by Pubali Bank, (2) an up to US$50 million Working Capital Solutions (WCS) loan to Pubali Bank on IFC’s own investment, and (3) an up to US$40 million unfunded trade facility under the Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) on IFC’s own account. The proceeds of the green bond will be used to finance the expansion of Pubali Bank’s green portfolio and will be aligned with the International Capital Market Association’s (ICMA) Green Bond Principles, supporting projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and green buildings. Meanwhile, the proceeds of the WCS loan will be utilized by the Bank to support SMEs, and the GTFP facility will be utilized for guaranteeing trade-related payment obligations.

The Project will be complemented by an advisory engagement to assist Pubali Bank in identifying energy efficient (EE) machinery portfolio in select sectors, measuring its impact in line with international best practices, and building capacity and knowledge of the Bank on EE equipment financing in Bangladesh. The Advisory will also support Pubali Bank with recommendations and an action plan for climate risk assessment.

Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

As stated by the IFC, the proposed Project consists of a total debt investment of up to US$190 million in Pubali Bank PLC, structured across three facilities: (1) an up to US$100 million IFC own account investment in green bond to be issued by the Bank, (2) an up to US$50 million WCS loan on IFC’s own account, and (3) a trade finance line under IFC’s GTFP for up to US$40 million.  

Financial Intermediary
A financial intermediary is a bank or financial institution that receives funds from a development bank. A financial intermediary then lends these funds to their clients (private actors) in the form of loans, bonds, guarantees and equity shares. Financial intermediaries include insurance, pension and equity funds. The direct financial relationship is between the development bank and the financial intermediary.
Private Actors Description
A Private Actor is a non-governmental body or entity that is the borrower or client of a development project, which can include corporations, private equity and banks. This describes the private actors and their roles in relation to the project, when private actor information is disclosed or has been further researched.

As stated by the IFC, established in 1959, Pubali Bank PLC is one of the oldest and largest private commercial banks in Bangladesh, operating a network of 518 branches and 266 sub-branches. The Bank is listed on Bangladesh’s stock exchanges, with market capitalization of US$382 million as of April 7, 2026. Sponsors and directors held 28% of the Bank's shares, while institutional investors and general investors accounted for 28% and 44% of total shares, respectively, as of March 31, 2026.

Pubali Bank, headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh, operates 518 branches nationwide with more than 10,000 employees.


Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

Financial Intermediary - Pubali Bank PLC:

Shahadat Hossain - Deputy Managing Director
Phone: +8801713033398
Email: shahadat.id@pubalibankbd.com
Address: Pubali Bank PLC, Head Office, 26 Dilkusha Commercial Area, Dhaka - 1000, Bangladesh. G.P.O. Box# 853
Website: www.pubalibangla.com

General IFC Inquiries - IFC Communications:

Address: 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20433
Telephone: +1 202-473-3800
Fax: +1 202-974-4384

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit a request for information disclosure at: https://disclosures.ifc.org/#/inquiries

If you believe that your request for information from IFC has been unreasonably denied, or that this Policy has been interpreted incorrectly, you can submit a complaint at the link above to IFC's Access to Information Policy Advisor, who reports directly to IFC's Executive Vice President.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF IFC/MIGA

The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an IFC or MIGA- financed project. If you submit a complaint to the CAO, they may assist you in resolving a dispute with the company and/or investigate to assess whether the IFC is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. If you want to submit a complaint electronically, you can email the CAO at CAO@worldbankgroup.org You can learn more about the CAO and how to file a complaint at http://www.cao-ombudsman.org

How it works

How it works