Professor Dr. Salim Mahmud is a distinguished legal scholar, energy law expert, parliamentarian, and experienced international arbitrator with more than three decades of professional engagement across academia, regulation, public policy, banking and corporate sectors, and dispute resolution. Holding a PhD in energy law and policy from University of Dundee (UK), Professor Mahmud is one of the longest serving energy regulators in South Asia serving ten years (2009 - 2019) as energy regulator in Bangladesh. He has extensive experience in arbitration, governance, and financial oversight
Professor Mahmud served as a Member of Parliament (MP) of Bangladesh (Constituency 260, Chandpur-1) in the Twelfth Parliament. As a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh, he was actively involved in parliamentary oversight, strengthening accountability, and contributing to the formulation of policies of national importance.
Professor Mahmud chaired the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Tribunal (June 2016 – June 2019) with the status of a Supreme Court Judge, following his tenure as Member (Commissioner) of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (May 2009 – May 2016) with the status of a High Court Division Judge. Through these roles, Professor Mahmud contributed significantly to the development of Bangladesh’s energy regulatory framework and adjudicatory practice. He also made substantial contributions to the drafting of significant number of laws, rules, and regulations in the energy sector.
As an energy regulator, Professor Mahmud played a historic role in establishing a separate arbitration-based dispute settlement mechanism for the energy sector of Bangladesh under the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act, 2003. He served as the Chairman of the BERC Dispute Settlement Regulations Drafting Committee in 2013. Through his active initiative, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Dispute Settlement Regulations were promulgated through gazette notification in 2014 which was the the first law for regulating dispute settlement in the energy sector of Bangladesh. Under his leadership, the Regulations were further strengthened through amendments in 2016 to address emerging challenges in arbitration-based dispute resolution.
An accredited arbitrator and Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb), UK, Professor Mahmud has conducted 48 arbitrations, including 22 as tribunal chair or sole arbitrator, bringing more than 13 years of practical arbitral experience across commercial and energy disputes.
In academia, Dr. Mahmud served as Professor in the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka until his voluntary retirement in 2020. His teaching and research have focused on energy law and policy (upstream and downstream), international arbitration, international investment law, corporate and regulatory governance. He is the author and co-author of significant number of national and international publications, including a major AIEN (Association of International Energy Negotiators, formerly AIPN) study (book) entitled "Cross Border Unitization and Joint Development Agreements", published by the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN, formerly AIPN), Houston, USA (2007).
Regionally, Professor Mahmud served as a Member of the South Asian Inter-Governmental Task Force for Promoting Cross-Border Energy and Power Trade (Task Force 3) under the South Asian Regional Initiative/Energy Integration (SARI/EI) from 2014 to 2018, contributing to regional energy cooperation initiatives.
Professor Mahmud has also held significant corporate governance roles, including Independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at The City Bank Ltd (2020–2024), and Independent Director at United Commercial Bank Ltd (UCBL), Dhaka (2013–2019).
Dr. Mahmud's International Experiences as Independent Consultant/Adviser include: Lead Consultant (as the Head of Chamber of the Legal Insights- a legal and consulting firm based in Dhaka, Bangladesh) of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources of the Government of Bangladesh for the implementation of High-Capacity Interconnection between India and Bangladesh-765 kV Katihar-Parbotipur-Bornagar Project (2023); Co Consultant (with Prof. Thomas Walde) for Government of India on Gas Clauses in Production Sharing Contracts (2006); Co Consultant for Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN, now AIEN), Houston, USA on International Unitization of Oil and Gas Fields: The Legal Framework of International Law, National Laws, and Private Contracts (2006); Co Consultant (with Prof. Thomas Walde) for Government of Latvia (2004); Advised World Bank on Power Tariff Issues (2012); Consultant for Shell International (2002-2005); Consultant for Cairn Energy (2002-2005); Associate of Thomas Walde and Associates in several international energy dispute settlement arbitrations including Nykomb v. the Republic of Latvia dispute- the first arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty (2004-2008).
Dr. Mahmud made important contributions to the drafting of the following laws, rules and regulations in Bangladesh: the Gas Act 2010, the Power and Energy Fast Supply Enhancement (Special Provision) Act 2010, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Act 2010, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) Act 2012, the Electricity Act 2018, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Rules 2013, Renewable Energy Rules 2013, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Disputes Settlement Regulations 2014, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Transmission Tariff Regulations 2016, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Distribution Tariff Regulations 2016, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Dispute Settlement Regulations (Amendment) 2016, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission License Regulations (Amendment) 2010, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Natural Gas Distribution Tariff Regulations 2010 and Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Natural Gas Transmission Tariff Regulations 2010.
Professor Dr. Mahmud is currently the Head of Chamber of The Legal Insights — Legal and Consulting Services, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he provides legal, regulatory, and arbitration advisory services.
Areas of Expertise
• Energy Law and Policy (Upstream and Downstream)
• International Arbitration and ADR
• International Investment Law
• Regulatory Law and Governance
• Cross-Border Energy Trade
• Corporate Governance
