United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s capital market recorded its highest daily turnover of 2026 on Tuesday, the last trading day before a four-day closure due to the national election and the weekly holidays. The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw transactions worth nearly Tk 800 crore, the highest so far this year. Trading began on a positive note in the morning, with turnover crossing Tk 300 crore within the first two hours. By the end of the session, the total turnover stood at Tk 790 crore. Previously, the highest turnover this year was Tk 746 crore on February 2. With Tuesday’s performance, the market has crossed Tk 700 crore in daily turnover on three occasions so far in 2026. All indices posted gains during the day. The benchmark DSEX surged by 87 points, while the Shariah-based DSES rose by 19 points and the blue-chip DS30 advanced by 27 points. Stocks surge in early trading at DSE, CSE Most listed companies ended higher, as share prices of 288 companies increased against declines in 67, while prices of 37 companies remained unchanged. In the block market, shares of 26 companies worth Tk 23 crore were traded, with Apex Spinning and Knitting Mills Limited topping the list by selling shares worth Tk 8 crore. Al-Arafah Islami Bank PLC topped the DSE gainers’ chart with a 10 percent rise, while Keya Cosmetics Limited was the day’s worst performer, losing around 5.5 percent. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also witnessed a strong rally, with its overall index CASPI jumping by 241 points. On the CSE, prices of 166 companies advanced against declines in 24, while 13 issues remained unchanged. The total turnover at the bourse stood at Tk 9 crore, up from Tk 8 crore in the previous session. Apollo Ispat Complex Limited emerged as the top gainer on the CSE with a 10 percent rise, while Global Heavy Chemicals Limited ended at the bottom, shedding more than 9 percent.

Bangladesh’s capital market ended the week on a positive note, with all major indices gaining as overall turnover rose, signalling renewed investor confidence. According to the Weekly Market Pulse report of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index gained 80 points over the week. After opening at 5,154 points, the index closed at 5,234 points, marking a year-on-year rise of more than 7.5 percent. The Shariah-based DSES index advanced 37 points, while the blue-chip DS30 index added 15 points. Over the past year, the two indices have recorded gains of around 7 percent and 8 percent respectively.| The SME index, representing small and medium enterprises, also edged up by more than 3.5 points. Average daily turnover at the DSE climbed to Tk 668 crore during the week, up from Tk 579 crore in the previous week, an increase of over 15 percent. Market breadth remained positive, as share prices of 231 companies increased against declines in 141 companies, while prices of 17 companies remained unchanged. The banking sector emerged as the main attraction for investors. Share prices in the sector rose by more than 116 percent, the highest among all sectors, while turnover surged 123 percent, indicating heavy trading interest. BRAC Bank PLC topped the turnover chart in the banking sector, with its weekly turnover rising by over 3 percent, placing it at the top of the DSE’s trading list. Other actively traded bank stocks included Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC and City Bank PLC. The cement sector followed closely, posting a strong rally as prices increased by 109 percent and turnover rose 93 percent. All seven listed cement companies ended the week with price gains. Among non-bank financial institutions, share prices rose by 44 percent, though turnover declined slightly by around 1.5 percent. Mutual fund units performed well, with prices and turnover increasing by 55 percent and 65 percent respectively. In contrast, the insurance sector underperformed. General insurance stocks saw a 42 percent fall in prices and a 48 percent decline in turnover, while life insurance stocks recorded a 17 percent drop in prices and a 27 percent fall in turnover. In the block market, Fine Foods Limited recorded the highest turnover, selling shares worth nearly Tk 13.8 crore through several transactions. Interestingly, nine of the top ten gainers on the DSE were Z-category companies, while nine of the bottom ten losers were A-category firms. This indicates that despite the overall market rise, non-dividend-paying and financially weaker companies dominated the gainers’ list, while fundamentally strong dividend-paying stocks largely lagged behind. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also witnessed a positive trend. The overall CASPI index rose by 262 points, while the CSE30 and CSE50 indices gained 253 points and 24 points respectively. UNDP to support Bangladesh’s capital market with thematic bond development At the CSE, share prices of 160 companies increased, compared to declines in 87 companies, while prices of 22 companies remained unchanged. Orion Infusion Limited, Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC, Fine Foods Limited, Lovello Ice Cream PLC and Eastern Bank PLC were the most traded stocks on the CSE during the week.

Bangladesh’s capital market saw a major boost on Monday as the turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) crossed Tk 700 crore for the first time this year, alongside a broad-based rally in share prices. The total turnover on the DSE stood at Tk 746 crore worth of shares and units during the session. The previous highest turnover in 2026 was Tk 693 crore, recorded on January 27. Before that, the turnover last crossed the Tk 700 crore mark on October 7, 2025, when transactions amounted to Tk 787 crore, making Monday’s performance the strongest in nearly four months. Stocks open higher on DSE, CSE The benchmark DSEX index jumped 54 points during the day. The Shariah-based DSES advanced 12 points, while the blue-chip DS30 gained 20 points. All three indices rose by more than 1 percent in a single session. Most stocks ended higher, with prices rising for 215 companies against declines for 107, while 68 issues remained unchanged. In the block market, shares of 23 companies worth Tk 13 crore were traded, with Fine Foods Limited topping the list at Tk 6 crore. Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC emerged as the top gainer on the DSE, surging nearly 10 percent, while Meghna PET Industries Limited was the worst performer, shedding around 8 percent. The rally also extended to the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), where the benchmark CASPI index rose by 111 points. On the CSE, prices increased for 98 companies, declined for 60, and remained unchanged for 25 issues. Stocks advance at DSE, CSE as majority of shares gain The turnover improved to Tk 8 crore, up from Tk 6 crore in the previous session. People’s Leasing and Financial Services Limited topped the CSE gainers’ chart with a 10 percent rise, while FAS Finance and Investment Limited ended at the bottom, losing 10 percent.

Bangladesh’s capital markets opened on a positive note on Wednesday, with benchmark indices of both the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) registering gains in early trading. On the fourth working day of the week, the DSE’s benchmark index, DSEX, rose by 33 points. The Shariah-based index DSES gained 5 points, while the blue-chip index DS30 advanced by 15 points. Out of the traded issues on the DSE, prices of 189 companies increased, while 114 declined and 81 remained unchanged. Capital markets surge at DSE with year’s highest turnover The turnover on the premier bourse crossed Tk 290 crore in the first half of the session. The CSE also witnessed an upward trend, with its overall index CASPI climbing 86 points. On the port city bourse, share prices of 67 companies moved up, 30 declined and 17 remained unchanged. The total turnover on the CSE stood at over Tk 2.4 crore during the first half of trading.

Bangladesh’s stock markets posted gains in the first hour of trading on Sunday (January 04, 2026), the opening session of the week, with indices rising at both the Dhaka and Chattogram bourses amid broad-based buying. During the first hour, the benchmark DSEX index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) advanced by 43 points. Read more: Stocks extend losses for second day at DSE, CSE also slips The Shariah-based DSES index gained 3 points, while the blue-chip DS30 index rose by 16 points. Of the 218 companies traded on the DSE in the first hour, share prices increased for 101 companies, declined for 101, and remained unchanged for 65. The turnover at the DSE crossed Tk 230 crore within the first hour of trading. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also witnessed an upward trend, with its overall index CASPI climbing 68 points. Stocks open lower at DSE, CSE as market extends downtrend At the CSE, prices of shares and units rose for 63 companies, fell for 28, and remained unchanged for 10 during the first hour. The total turnover at the port city bourse stood at over Tk 8.20 crore in the same period.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has announced the publication of the new Initial Public Offering (IPO) rules in a gazette, voicing optimism that the reform will pave the way for quality companies to enter the capital market this year. According to the regulator, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Public Offer of Equity Securities) Rules, 2025 were gazetted on December 30 and have come into effect immediately upon publication. Under the new rules, the role of stock exchanges in the listing of new companies has been strengthened. Stock exchanges will now grant preliminary approval to IPOs, while the BSEC will provide final approval based on the exchanges’ recommendations. The revised rules also stipulate that companies seeking listing through IPOs must have a minimum paid-up capital of Tk 30 crore, and at least 10 percent of post-IPO shares must be offered to the capital market. Read more: Bangladesh Capital Market: Stocks edge up in first hour of trading Besides, issuers will be required to complete the utilisation of funds raised through IPOs within five years of completing the offering. Commenting on the implementation of the new IPO rules, BSEC Director and spokesperson Abul Kalam told UNB, “After reforming the mutual fund and margin rules, the most challenging task was revising the IPO regulations. The commission finalised the rules and sent them to the relevant ministry within December. The new IPO rules will benefit the stock market in the long run.” Even before the rules were finalised, the commission had been trying for over a year to bring quality companies to the market, but those efforts failed to materialise. Despite multiple meetings aimed at listing state-owned enterprises and multinational companies, no major company entered the capital market, leading to growing frustration among investors. Investor Sajjadul Islam said, “A single good company can turn the market around. But the commission has failed to bring even one. When companies like Square Pharma, Grameenphone or Robi entered the market, it helped revive investor confidence. Yet even after a year, this commission has not been able to bring any quality company.” Another investor, Abul Hossain, said investors are eagerly waiting for good companies to be listed, but continued delays are pushing many to turn away from the market in disappointment. Read more: Bangladesh stock market opens New Year with index gains Explaining why no quality company could be listed in the past year, a senior BSEC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said bureaucratic complexities have stalled progress. “If these bureaucratic hurdles did not exist, it would have been possible to bring good state-owned companies to the market, even if multinational private companies remained reluctant,” the official said. He said the commission made year-long efforts to directly list 18 state-owned companies. “Even with direct instructions from the Chief Adviser, these companies could not be listed due to delays and non-cooperation from the concerned ministry secretaries. Despite repeated meetings and requests, the issue was not taken seriously.” Asked when new companies might enter the market under the revised rules, BSEC spokesperson Abul Kalam said the commission remains hopeful that quality companies will be listed within the current year. Investors, however, have complained that after the commission assumed office, it cancelled a number of IPO applications that were already under process. As a result, merchant banks acting as issue managers have reportedly lost interest in submitting new IPO proposals. “We did not rush to list bad companies,” Abul Kalam said, adding, “most of the IPOs approved by the previous commission were of poor-quality companies, which destabilised the market and increased manipulation. Our focus is on eliminating manipulation and ensuring that only good companies are listed.” Meanwhile, DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh (DBA) President Saiful Islam said that the likelihood of IPOs before the national election is low. Good companies will not be interested in listing unless good governance is restored in the capital market, he added. “Let alone comparing Bangladesh with India, even compared to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh lags far behind in terms of market governance scores. Without addressing these issues, the capital market cannot return to normal,” he said. Saiful said stability may return after the 13th national election and the formation of a new government, creating an opportunity to change the market scenario if quality companies are listed at that time. Commission sources said that responsibility for managing IPOs of major companies as an issue manager was given solely to the state-owned Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), but the initiative did not yield results. An inquiry found that ICB, once a profitable institution, is now struggling with heavy losses. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, ICB’s losses exceeded Tk 1200 crore. The institution is surviving on loans and has repeatedly sold shares to pay interest obligations. ICB Chairman Professor Abu Ahmed, however, expressed optimism about a turnaround. “Despite many ups and downs, ICB has survived. In the past, its funds were invested in poor-quality IPOs linked to market manipulation, which caused significant losses.” Read more: BSEC takes action against ACME, Genex, auditors over irregularities “We are hopeful that good companies will be listed in the market soon. Alongside state-owned enterprises, multinational companies will also come to the market, which will change the overall scenario,” he added. Market analysts say that while the new IPO rules have strengthened safeguards against manipulation, they have also made listing more challenging in some cases. Nevertheless, they believe the reforms will benefit the capital market in the long term.

The country’s bourses saw a positive start on Sunday (November 30) as key indices in both Dhaka and Chattogram moved up during the first hour of trading, with most companies posting gains. At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index rose by 3 points in early trading. While the Shariah-based DSES index remained unchanged, the blue-chip DS30 index slipped by 1 point. Read more: DSE rebounds; index tops 5,000 after 20-day dip During the opening hour, prices increased for 162 issues, fell for 137, and remained unchanged for 67. The turnover crossed Tk 240 crore at the DSE. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also opened higher, with its overall index gaining 33 points. Of the 103 companies traded, 46 advanced, 45 declined, and 12 remained unchanged. The turnover at the CSE exceeded Tk 5 crore in the first hour. Read more: Share Market Investment Guide: How to Invest in Stocks in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maksud on Tuesday welcomed the proposed budget, saying it reflects the government’s sincere and constructive approach to capital market development by giving due emphasis on crucial sectoral issues. In a written statement in response to the new budget, Rashed Maksud said Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus' five-point directives over the capital market were prominently incorporated in the budget speech delivered by Economic Adviser Dr Saleh Uddin Ahmed. Among these directives were the direct listing of multinational companies in the capital market and the enlistment of strong, fundamentally sound local companies. In addition, the directives called for appointing foreign consultants to implement essential reforms, taking strict actions against irregularities and misconduct by market-related entities and individuals and providing policy support from the government to position the capital market as a central pillar of the future economy. Reflecting these directives, the Ministry of Finance has proposed widening the corporate tax gap between listed and non-listed companies from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. As a result, companies listed on the stock market will benefit from a lower corporate tax rate. Dhaka stocks extend losses, Chattogram index edges up The BSEC chairman expressed the hope that this move would encourage both domestic and foreign profit-making companies with strong fundamentals to become listed. To stimulate trading volume in the market, the transaction tax on brokerage houses has been reduced from 0.05 per cent to 0.03 per cent. Maksud noted that the capital market is currently facing liquidity constraints and low trading volumes, and he hoped this tax relief would encourage greater investor participation and enhance trading activity. Merchant banks, considered crucial stakeholders in the market, have also received incentives, he said. Highlighting their role in ensuring a sustainable supply of quality shares, the Chairman noted that the corporate tax rate for merchant banks has been reduced by 10 percentage points—from 37.5 per cent to 27.5 per cent. He believes this will further encourage merchant banks to contribute to capital market development. In a move to protect investors’ interests, the chairman recalled a key decision made shortly after the interim government assumed office on 4 November last year. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a directive to reduce the capital gains tax from the sale of shares of listed companies. The maximum tax rate was halved from 30 per cent to 15 per cent. Rashed Maksud considered this a clear sign of the government's commitment to the capital market.

The downtrend in the country’s capital markets shows no sign of stopping, as both the Dhaka and Chattogram stock exchanges witnessed declines for the third consecutive trading day on Wednesday. Indices dropped across the board, with the majority of listed companies recording a fall in share prices. On the third trading session of the week, the Dhaka Stock Exchange’s (DSE) benchmark index, DSEX, dropped by 26 points. Major slump hits Dhaka and Chattogram stock exchanges hard The other two indices also followed suit: the Shariah-based DSES declined by 7 points, and the blue-chip DS30 index fell by 15 points. The SME index, DSMEX, representing small and medium enterprises, also took a hit, losing 13 points. An analysis of the DSEX index reveals that last week’s closing stood at 5,205 points. Over the past three trading days, the index has dropped incrementally, reaching 5,105 points – a 100-point fall even before the week comes to an end. Alongside the indices, most companies saw their share prices fall. Of the 397 companies that took part in trading, prices rose for only 120, while 212 saw a decline, and 64 remained unchanged. In terms of categories, the majority of shares in Category A, B, and Z experienced downward trends. Among the 36 mutual funds traded, only two posted gains, while prices fell for 27, and 7 remained unchanged. In the DSE’s block market, shares of 22 companies worth Tk 21 crore were traded. ACI Limited topped the list with shares worth Tk 11 crore changing hands. Adding to the concerns, overall trading volume also declined. Total turnover stood at Tk 396 crore, down from Tk 446 crore the previous day. Desh General Insurance Company Limited led the gainers’ list with a 10 per cent rise in share price, while AB Bank First Mutual Fund fell to the bottom with a 7.55 per cent drop. Chattogram Also Suffers Decline The Chattogram Stock Exchange (CSE) mirrored the trend seen in Dhaka. The overall index of CSE fell by 48 points. Out of the 204 companies that participated in trading, share prices of 121 companies declined, while 62 saw gains. Prices of 21 companies remained unchanged. Turnover also fell in the port city’s bourse. Shares and units worth Tk 5.40 crore were traded throughout the day, a drop from the previous session’s Tk 7.13 crore. Sinobangla Industries Limited topped the gainers in the CSE with a 10 per cent rise, while Eastern Insurance Company Limited dropped to the lowest position with a 9 per cent fall. END/UNB/MM/SAM

Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC) President and Managing Director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited Rupali Haque Chowdhury said many multinational companies in the country are not yet listed in the capital market. She said this at the CMJF Talk organised by Capital Market Journalists Forum (CMJF) in Paltan, in the capital, on Sunday (Mar 23). “There is a shortage of good companies in the capital market. For this, the way domestic and foreign companies come to the capital market or invest should be attractive,” Chowdhury opined. “We had a corporate tax gap of 15 percent. The company law should be reviewed for both listed and unlisted companies. I am not just talking about taxes. We have to level the playing field. Then if it is listed, it will benefit,” she said. Rupali Chowdhury said, why companies would come to IPO if they do not get benefits. They will take loans from banks. Because even though the interest rate in banks is high, it is easy to take loans. Bangladesh set to achieve record remittance inflow in March At the event, chaired by CMJM President Golam Samdani Bhuiyan and moderated by General Secretary Abu Ali, she presented the overall situation of the business. In response to a question, she said, it would not be right to increase all types of supplementary duties including port charges. If these duties are increased at this moment, business and commerce will not be able to bear any kind of inflationary pressure. “We from BAPLC are strongly protesting against the increase in duties. If they do not get good benefits if they are listed, then why will they come to IPO? Rather, they will collect capital from banks,” she pointed out.