Dhaka Stock Exchange PLC (DSE) and Swisscontact Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sunday aimed at strengthening the SME sector in the capital market and advancing sustainable, inclusive economic development through the country's securities ecosystem.

Senior officials from both organisations, including DSE Managing Director Nuzhat Anwar and Swisscontact Bangladesh Country Director Helal Hossain, were present at the signing ceremony.

Nuzhat said mutual coordination and a clear roadmap had enabled swift implementation of the initiative, which she believes will play a pivotal role in developing the SME sector.

She stressed the need for capacity building, corporate governance support, and compliance assistance to increase SME participation in the capital market.

Swisscontact Bangladesh Country Director Helal Hossain noted that while SME companies are a key driver of Bangladesh's economy, they continue to face significant challenges related to financing, competitiveness, and compliance.

He underscored the urgency of creating alternative financing and equity-based capital-raising opportunities for SMEs in the current economic climate, expressing hope that the partnership with DSE would serve as a catalyst in bringing promising SME enterprises into the capital market fold.

Under the MoU, both organisations will collaborate across strategic sectors including readymade garments (RMG), healthcare, and agriculture.

Joint programmes will also cover environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, sustainability reporting, entrepreneurship development, financial inclusion, climate resilience, trade facilitation, and skills development.

The two institutions will jointly conduct capacity-building programmes, awareness workshops, incubation support, and advisory activities to encourage broader capital market participation.

Cooperation is also planned on developing sustainable finance instruments, including green bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, sukuk, and blended-finance models.