Tanzim Alamgir is the Managing Director and CEO of UCB Investment Limited, the wholly owned investment banking subsidiary of United Commercial Bank PLC (UCB). When the institution was formed in October 2020, he was brought in to translate UCB’s vision into reality. With the support, infrastructure, and dedication of the UCB Group, in just five years, Mr. Alamgir has led UCB Investment Limited to the top, establishing it as the leading investment bank in Bangladesh.



How has UCB Investment’s founding vision guided the institution’s journey since its inception?

Our simple yet ambitious vision is to ensure that UCB Investment Limited provides its clients a 360-degree investment banking platform. We have always aspired to be the one-stop destination for IPOs, bonds, M&A, loan syndication, structured finance, portfolio management, and more. To realise this vision, we invested heavily in human capital, building a strong and dedicated team comprising members with specialised expertise across the full spectrum of financial products.

UCB Investment Limited’s discipline in research is why, even when much of the investment banking and brokerage industry is struggling with negative equity and provision shortfalls, we remain free from negative equity and continue to maintain more than 100% provision.

hat were some of the challenges in the early days of UCB Investment Limited?

UCB investment started its journey in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses were cautious, investors were hesitant, and capital raising had slowed dramatically. The Russia-Ukraine war brought new uncertainties, and soon after, prolonged floor price restrictions in Bangladesh’s secondary market eroded investor confidence. Besides these external challenges, the investment banking industry itself was already saturated, with 65 licensed institutions, each specialising in specific services.



What is your vision for the next five years of UCB Investment Limited?

Our vision is to take UCB Investment from being the leading investment bank in Bangladesh to becoming a regional player in investment banking. In 2024, we already received regional awards for landmark deals, and we want to build on that momentum, facilitating cross-border financing arrangements for both local and foreign entities.