‘Sustainable Finance Summit 2026’ held in Dhaka

The global sustainable finance market reached USD 919 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 1.1 trillion in 2026. Bangladesh has also demonstrated positive momentum in this sector, stakeholders said at a summit.

According to recent data, sustainable financing in Bangladesh amounted to BDT 83.75 billion during the October–December quarter of 2025, accounting for 35.87 percent of total disbursed loans.

However, the stakeholders emphasized that blended and sustainable financing are essential to further strengthen this momentum, support overall economic development, address climate change-related risks, and expand public welfare initiatives, according to a media release.

These insights were highlighted today (Thursday), during the “Sustainable Finance Summit 2026” held at a hotel in Dhaka.

The summit was organized by LightCastle Partners, a management consulting firm with support from the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Netherlands-based impact investment firm Truvalu Bangladesh, and Startup Bangladesh Limited.

The day-long summit was organized with the objective of mobilizing blended finance and expanding the sustainable finance market in Bangladesh’s economy.

The event was formally inaugurated by Reto Renggli, Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh.

As Guest of Honour, remarks were delivered by Masud Rahman, Chief Technology Advisor of the Aspire to Innovate (a2i) project under Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.

The summit featured discussions across three panel sessions.

The first panel was moderated by Zahedul Amin, Managing Director of LightCastle Partners.

Speakers included Diepak, Deputy Head of Mission/Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh; Nuzhat Anwar, Managing Director of Dhaka Stock Exchange; Nurul Hai, Managing Director of Startup Bangladesh Limited; Kerry Breen, Senior Director at Brummer & Partners; Nazat Chowdhury, Managing Director of South Asia Tech; Nabila Nowrin, Managing Director of Infusion Partners; among other officials.

The open forum of the session was moderated by Ameera Fairooz, Senior Business Consultant at LightCastle Partners.

In his inaugural remarks, Ambassador Reto Renggli highlighted the importance of Bangladesh-Switzerland cooperation and said:

“Sustainable finance is no longer a niche agenda. It is essential for building an inclusive and future-ready economic foundation.”

He also praised Bangladesh’s efforts in climate resilience and financial inclusion and expressed optimism that the summit would serve as an important platform to unlock investment opportunities and potential partnerships.

In his remarks as guest of honor Masud Rahman said, “Bangladesh stands at a critical juncture where innovation, technology, and sustainable financing must advance together. In this context, the government is placing significant emphasis on supporting entrepreneurs through the strengthening of digital infrastructure

The keynote presentation titled “From Pledges to Projects: Unlocking the Next Trillion in Sustainable Finance Sets the tone with a global-to-local lens on translating how Bangladesh should navigate the sustainable finance ecosystem” was delivered by Bijon Islam, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LightCastle Partners.

The summit included three panel discussions.

Bijon Islam, CEO of LightCastle Partners, and Sharawwat Islam, Managing Director of Truvalu Bangladesh, jointly unveiled two new investment funds- “ORE-2 Fund” and “Bangladesh Impact Fund.”

More than 200 representatives, including policymakers, financiers, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem stakeholders, participated in the summit.