Legal Excellence, Local Insight, Global Standards
Your trusted partner in Bangladesh's evolving legal landscape.
Our Core Values
The Principles That Define Us
I
Uncompromising Integrity
Upholding the highest ethical standards to ensure transparency and honor in every legal engagement.
II
Accountability & Trust
Taking full ownership of our counsel to build enduring relationships founded on reliability.
III
Client-Centric Partnership
Aligning our strategic legal solutions with your specific commercial goals and long-term success.
IV
Legal Excellence & Precision
Combining rigorous intellectual discipline with meticulous attention to detail in every case.
Head of Chambers
Barrister Rabiul Islam Tarafder Robin
Chairman's Message
“In an era of rapid economic transformation, the legal landscape of Bangladesh is evolving with unprecedented complexity. At ZeroPlus Legal, our journey has always been defined by a singular commitment: to provide clarity where there is ambiguity and to offer a steady hand in high-stakes environments. We do not just practice law; we serve as strategic partners to our clients. By blending deep-rooted local expertise with global professional standards, we ensure that every challenge is met with precision and every opportunity is secured with integrity. We welcome you to a firm where your vision is protected by our expertise.”
Our Expertise
Depth Across Every Practice Area
Regulatory & Operational Advisory
- Central Bank Compliance: Guidance on evolving regulations, licensing, and reporting requirements to ensure seamless operations.
- Internal Management: Developing robust internal policies, governance frameworks, and risk management protocols.
- Revenue Optimization: Strategic advice on improving operational efficiency and addressing revenue-related challenges.
Transactional & Advisory Services
- Loan Documentation: Drafting and negotiating bespoke agreements for complex financing structures.
- Syndicated Loans: Coordinating multi-lender arrangements, including drafting inter-creditor agreements and security documentation.
- Mergers, Acquisitions & Restructuring: Providing end-to-end support for bank consolidations, asset acquisitions, and corporate restructuring projects.
Dispute Resolution & Recovery
- Debt Recovery: Aggressive representation in specialized Money Loan Courts to protect financial interests and maximize recovery outcomes.
Entity Formation & Market Entry
- Strategic Incorporation: Full-spectrum assistance with company formation, from initial registration with the RJSC to obtaining necessary trade licenses and environmental clearances.
- FDI & BIDA Compliance: Expert facilitation of Foreign Direct Investment, including BIDA registration, outward remittance approvals, and compliance with foreign exchange regulations.
- Liaison & Branch Offices: Advising multinational corporations on the optimal legal vehicle for their local presence, including the establishment of representative offices.
Governance & Structural Advisory
- Bespoke Structuring: Drafting and negotiating complex Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs) and Shareholders’ Agreements (SHAs) tailored to protect minority rights and define clear exit strategies.
- Corporate Governance: Advising boards and management on fiduciary duties, statutory filings, and internal compliance frameworks to mitigate liability.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Disinvestments
- Transactional Due Diligence: Conducting rigorous legal audits to identify risks in target companies, including labor, tax, and intellectual property liabilities.
- M&A Execution: Managing the full lifecycle of mergers and acquisitions, from the initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to final share transfers and regulatory filings.
- Winding Up & Liquidation: Providing structured guidance on solvent liquidations and formal company winding-up procedures under the Companies Act.
Project Structuring & Feasibility
- Framework Compliance: Expert guidance on the PPP Act 2015 and associated Procurement Guidelines to ensure all project phases meet statutory requirements.
- Tender Management: Assisting private consortiums or government entities with the preparation of Requests for Qualification (RFQ) and Requests for Proposal (RFP).
- Bankability Analysis: Reviewing project structures to ensure they meet the rigorous standards of international lenders and development finance institutions (DFIs).
Risk Allocation & Contractual Architecture
- Concession Agreements: Drafting and negotiating the core PPP Contract, including implementation agreements, land lease agreements, and off-take contracts.
- Risk Matrix Development: Meticulous allocation of political, construction, and operational risks between the public and private partners to ensure project stability.
- Sector-Specific Expertise: Specialized legal support for critical sectors, including Independent Power Plants (IPPs), toll roads/bridges, port facilities, and healthcare infrastructure.
Financial Close & Implementation
- Financing Documentation: Managing the complexities of the Financial Close, including inter-creditor agreements and security packages for project finance.
- Government Support & Guarantees: Advising on Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and government guarantees to mitigate long-term commercial risks.
Strategic Bid Support & Compliance
- Bid Preparation & Review: Rigorous assessment of tender documents, including Requests for Quotation (RFQ), Requests for Proposal (RFP), and Invitation for Tenders (IFT) to ensure total alignment with the PPA and PPR.
- Pre-Qualification Strategies: Assisting consortiums and individual entities in optimizing their technical and financial qualifications to meet rigid government criteria.
- Compliance Advisory: Proactive guidance on local content requirements, ethical standards, and anti-corruption mandates prevalent in public sector contracts.
Evaluation & Award Challenges
- Administrative Advocacy: Representing clients during the bid evaluation phase to address clarifications, technical queries, or potential procurement irregularities.
- Bid Protests & Appeals: Expert handling of formal challenges against procurement decisions, representing clients before the Review Panel or relevant administrative bodies when fair process is compromised.
- Debriefing Support: Assisting unsuccessful bidders in analyzing procurement outcomes and pursuing legal remedies where procedural unfairness is identified.
Contract Performance & Dispute Resolution
- Contractual Risk Management: Drafting and reviewing performance security documentation, liquidated damages clauses, and force majeure provisions in government contracts.
- Dispute Adjudication: Providing aggressive representation in claims involving performance delays, variations, payment disputes, and contract termination.
- Administrative Law: Navigating the intersection of procurement law and judicial review to challenge arbitrary government actions.
Acquisitions & Due Diligence
- Comprehensive Title Due Diligence: Conducting exhaustive verification of land titles, identifying encumbrances, and tracing historical ownership to mitigate risk in large-scale acquisitions.
- Land Use & Zoning Compliance: Navigating the regulatory landscape for industrial, commercial, and residential projects, including compliance with RAJUK, CDA, or local municipal building codes.
- Property Development Advisory: Structuring joint ventures between landowners and developers, ensuring transparent project management and profit-sharing agreements.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
- Complex Land Disputes: Expert representation in civil litigation involving boundary disputes, adverse possession claims, and title contests.
- Title Correction & Mutation: Resolving administrative errors in record-of-rights and streamlining the mutation process with the Land Revenue Office.
- Administrative Challenges: Managing appeals against government land acquisition proceedings and ensuring fair compensation under the Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act.
Estate Management & Succession
- Succession Planning: Crafting family trust deeds, deeds of gift, and wills compliant with personal laws (Muslim/Hindu/Christian law) and property statutes to ensure seamless intergenerational wealth transfer.
- Estate Structuring: Developing governance frameworks for family-owned property portfolios to prevent future fragmentation and litigation.
Strategic Tax Planning & Advisory
- Corporate Tax Optimization: Advising on tax-efficient corporate structures, group tax planning, and identifying available tax holidays or exemptions for specialized industries.
- VAT & Indirect Tax Management: Expert guidance on the VAT registration process, credit mechanisms, and compliance with supplementary duty requirements for manufacturing and service sectors.
- Transfer Pricing (TP): Developing robust TP documentation and benchmarking studies to ensure cross-border transactions comply with “Arm’s Length” principles and avoid aggressive adjustments.
Audits, Investigations & Compliance
- Tax Health Checks: Conducting internal audits to identify potential liabilities before they become subject to official scrutiny.
- NBR Representation: Managing the entire lifecycle of tax audits and assessments, including handling formal inquiries and notices from the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
- Withholding Tax Management: Ensuring rigorous compliance with Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and Value Added Tax at Source (VDS) obligations.
Infrastructure & Project Development
- Power Sector Advisory: Legal support for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Rental Power Plants, including the negotiation of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Implementation Agreements (IAs).
- EPC Contract Management: Drafting and reviewing Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts to mitigate technical and operational risks in large-scale energy infrastructure.
- Renewable Energy Transition: Advising on the legal framework for solar, wind, and biomass projects, including site acquisition, grid connection agreements, and clean energy incentives.
Petroleum & Natural Resources
- Exploration & Production (E&P): Assisting international oil companies (IOCs) with Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and navigating the regulatory requirements of Petrobangla and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.
- Downstream Operations: Navigating the regulatory hurdles for natural gas distribution, pipeline connectivity, and the establishment of LNG storage and regasification facilities.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring ongoing alignment with the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) orders, tariff structures, and safety standards.
Strategic Legal Architecture
- Risk Allocation: Developing robust contractual frameworks that account for technical, sovereign, and supply-chain risks inherent in energy projects.
- Government Liaison: Managing interactions with state-owned enterprises and regulatory bodies to secure permits, land rights, and operational licenses.
- Environmental & Social Governance (ESG): Ensuring projects meet international Equator Principles and national environmental standards to prevent litigation and operational shutdowns.
Commercial & Civil Litigation
- High-Level Advocacy: Representation in complex commercial disputes, including breach of contract, shareholder litigation, intellectual property infringement, and debt recovery.
- Appellate Practice: Expert handling of appeals and revisions before the High Court Division and Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, focusing on precedent-setting legal interpretations.
- Civil Suit Management: Comprehensive handling of original jurisdiction matters, from filing plaints and written statements to trial advocacy and execution proceedings.
Constitutional & Administrative Law
- Writ Jurisdiction: Filing and defending Writ Petitions to challenge the constitutionality of statutes or to seek judicial review of arbitrary administrative actions taken by state authorities.
- Regulatory Defense: Defending clients against regulatory enforcement actions, notices, and penal proceedings initiated by governmental and statutory bodies.
Arbitration & Mediation
- International Arbitration: Counsel in cross-border disputes conducted under the rules of major international institutions (e.g., ICC, SIAC, LCIA), ensuring recognition and enforcement of awards under the New York Convention.
- Domestic ADR: Facilitating structured negotiation, mediation, and domestic arbitration to resolve disputes out-of-court, focusing on time-efficiency and cost-containment for our clients.
- Enforcement & Challenges: Expert assistance in enforcing foreign arbitral awards in local courts and challenging domestic awards where procedural impropriety has occurred.
Our Mission
To provide world-class, tech-integrated legal solutions that empower our clients to navigate Bangladesh's regulatory environment with confidence, integrity, and success.
Our Vision
To be the premier legal institution in Bangladesh, recognized globally for excellence in complex dispute resolution, innovative corporate structuring, and sustainable legal practices.
The Team
Our Legal Minds
Head of Chambers
Barrister Rabiul Islam Tarafder Robin
Senior Associate
Barrister Wakid Bin Azad
Senior Associate
Barrister Rakibul Alam Chowdhury Lincoln
Head of Chambers
Barrister Rabiul Islam Tarafder Robin
Senior Associate
Barrister Wakid Bin Azad
Senior Associate
Barrister Rakibul Alam Chowdhury Lincoln
Global Presence
Dhaka
Headquarters
23.8103°N 90.4125°E
39 West Tejturi Bazar, Farmgate, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
London
UK Office
51.5074°N 0.1278°W
27 South Rise Way, London SE18 7PG, United Kingdom
New York
USA Office
40.7128°N 74.0060°W
82-11, 37th Ave, Heritage Tower, Jackson Heights, NYC