Bangladesh’s legal services sector is seeing rising demand as foreign investors look for clearer guidance on regulation and structuring. Rahman’s Chambers, founded in 2006 by Mohammed Forrukh Rahman, has built a business-focused practice across 32 areas, including shipping, arbitration, banking, energy and commercial disputes. In an exclusive interview, Rahman discusses the firm’s growth, its work with UAE-based clients and why Bangladesh remains an important market for international investors.
Q: You founded Rahman’s Chambers in 2006, following a family tradition dating back to the 1920s. How has your vision evolved since then?
Mohammed Forrukh Rahman, Head: My family background played a key role in me deciding to become a lawyer, but at the same time, I also genuinely like the profession.
When I represent my client, I work hard to ensure they achieve the best outcome for their case by utilising all our resources. The recognition and seeing the fruit of my commitment give me real satisfaction. In addition, it is very gratifying when we can establish justice and dignity when the rights of our clients are desecrated. Our duty is to present facts that would allow the court to understand what is happening.
Q: How are you engaging with foreign clients, especially Gulf-based ones?
MFR: It is a large firm and we cover all the sectors that the business community faces. We do not dabble in family or immigration cases, as these mostly relate to individuals. We focus on issues related to business. We did not grow exactly as we first expected, but the firm grew organically as we gradually expanded while we dabbled in trade and banking. We are now divided into nine departments that provide a wide range of legal solutions, helping to meet the needs of the business community.
One of our major clients right now is a Dubai-based shipping company, and we assist them in international arbitration. We handled two cases for them: one was settled out of court, which could otherwise have led to a long litigation process where our client would spend more money; the second was an extremely complicated case where we faced law firms and arbiters based in England in relation to shipping matters. The assistance we provided was at the same level of support as English or Western lawyers, who would have cost them five to ten times more than what we charged.
Q: How do you describe your market position and key competitive advantages over other players in the sector?
MFR: The quality of our service is as good as any internationally reputed law firm, and the additional benefit comes from how competitive we are due to our locational advantage. We can charge clients reasonably because of our reputation while still providing the same level of service at extremely competitive rates.
The UAE in particular is a global hub that is extremely close to us, and we also have a plan to set up a branch in Dubai. We believe it is the right time to focus on Middle Eastern clients because they have a strong interest in investing in the Bangladesh economy. We are happy to work with clients from the UAE and Dubai.
Q: The global legal services market is projected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of around 5%. How are you approaching this opportunity?
MFR: We are part of the growth, but we are not as integrated as Fortune 500 companies that have business all over the country. We are a firm based in Bangladesh, and we are only now planning to expand into other jurisdictions. One of the drivers for this growth is artificial intelligence, because generative AI is becoming more powerful, and there will be rapid and massive changes in the structure of law firms. There will be less demand for senior partners and junior lawyers, but an increase in demand for mid-level lawyers, with AI driving the growth. It will not only save time but also provide more insights and ideas within a given time span. That would be the biggest change, because lawyers would have more time; AI would allow me to receive a summary of documents that would take me three years to read. I could then use my time dealing with the complex case, and the rest of my time would be used for other work. We are focused on developing our own business legal practice, nothing else.
Q: What makes your firm the legal partner of choice for UAE investors?
MFR: Although law is a family tradition, this firm was established by me in 2006 after receiving the blessing of my family. I began my journey by working as a central bank lawyer and at a previous firm I was associated with. That experience gave me exposure to financing, banking laws and regulations. It was a particularly good opportunity to work with regulatory bodies that faced significant issues related to the Bangladeshi economic context. My next appointment was in the power sector, where I served as the legal consultant of Power Cell. It was an organisation that provided all kinds of support to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. I was also able to gain experience in a corporate law firm and then worked for four years in litigation.
These various experiences helped diversify my expertise and enabled me to navigate plans involving all kinds of business-related issues and investments, whether in the energy sector, banking, disputes or corporate finance. This is why IMECO chose us as their law firm, and we have been assisting them for almost ten years. We have faced and handled many legal issues and cases, and at the same time, we provide advisory services. We have also had several meetings with Dubai investors.
Q: Your firm has earned several awards in global directories like Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. What has driven your international recognition?
MFR: Our hard work and the relentless effort we put into helping our clients, whether in consulting or litigation, are key factors. We are sincere, honest and dedicated, and we are regarded as one of the most trustworthy law firms around. We maintain strict client confidentiality, which is a major issue here. In addition, we operate like any other international law firm, maintaining an archive of clients’ files for the last 20 years. We can be compared to any international database and legal resource, as we have department heads who lead their teams with expertise, experience, knowledge and education. Even if I am the head of the firm, they have the liberty to do their work, and I merely oversee as much as needed.
I am focused on three departments: dispute resolution, shipping and arbitration. Beyond that, the other practice areas and departments are fully headed by their respective leaders, each with two to three juniors working under them. This structure is similar to that of any global firm. We can keep our commitments, deliver work on time, and ensure quality service.
Q: Bangladesh’s economy is forecast to grow at a rate of 3.9% in 2025. Why should UAE investors consider Bangladesh now?
MFR: The Bangladeshi demographic shows that people are not well off, and they are hungry for work, constantly looking for opportunities to make their lives better. They are also generally honest, very social, welcoming, easy to work with and hard-working. This is a big advantage because human resources are in short supply in many countries, like Japan. They are investing in places like Bangladesh because they see it as a source of the workforce they are lacking. For Dubai and other Middle Eastern countries, we are a dynamic place where people are working hard and things are growing. Any investment here would yield better returns compared with other countries. We do not have a lot of land, but we have a large number of educated people.
Q: You have had extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, including advising the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. How has your experience shaped your leadership?
MFR: Working in the public and private sectors is quite different. My recent assignment was working on the reform of an incredibly significant law in the banking sector, the Bank Company Act of 1991. I was part of a very high-profile team as a lawyer, and it was an incredibly happy moment for me to be part of it despite not receiving substantial financial benefit. In addition, I was able to help the country in fixing legal changes. I have been working in this sector for a long time, and I was able to give my input in relation to the legal sector. As for the private sector, it is particularly challenging and competitive, but financially, it is good. However, you must always be at your best because you are constantly competing with other law firms.
Our 32 practice areas give us an advantage because we can provide the support our clients need through people who are experienced. This diversity was possible because we wanted to meet the needs of our clients. Similarly, we are one of the first law firms to open branches in Chittagong, the Supreme Court, and Motijheel, and we also have plans to open an office in Dubai. This is a decision to provide further service to our clients. Our Motijheel office opened in 2008, but we moved to Dhaka because we have more interviews and meetings here. However, we decided to keep our Motijheel office because all of the government offices are there, along with the Central Bank, District Court, Labour Court, IP offices and the Customs and Taxes Office. Dealing with the Labour Court and the IP offices is part of our commitment as a full-service law firm for businesspeople. We have good practice in both areas, and it is part of our strategic decision to keep those branches.
