United News of Bangladesh

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.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the country's main capital market, saw a decline in trading in the first hour on Sunday. The 3 indexes of the Dhaka stock market DSEX and DS30 decreased while Shariah index DSES increased in the morning. The main index DSEX decreased by 0.01 points to 5,194.42 points, the DSES Shariah index up by 4.16 points to 1166.10 points, and the DS30 special blue-chip index fell by 2.85 points to 1921.41 points during the first hour on Sunday. Read: DSEX gains 9.42 points; 400 companies participate in trading On the day, the trading record in the DSE shows that shares and units of 3.27 crore were exchanged through 31872 transactions. In the first hour, the market witnessed huge selling pressure, and shares and mutual funds worth Tk 101.9 crore were traded. During this time, a total of 372 companies participated in trading. Among these, prices of 142 companies increased, 146 companies decreased and 84 companies remained unchanged at the DSE.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the country's main capital market, saw an upward trend of trading in the first hour on Wednesday. The 3 indexes of the Dhaka stock market DSEX, DSES and DS30 increased in the first session of the 4th working day of the week. The main index DSEX increased by 5.98 points to 5,196.75 points, the DSES Shariah index up by 1.13 points to 1160.03 points, and the DS30 special blue-chip index increased by 0.99 points to 1923.74 points during the first hour on Wednesday. Read: DSEX index drops by 8.06 points, TK 427.5 crore traded on Tuesday On the day, the trading record in the DSE shows that shares and units of 4.79 crore were exchanged through 33539 transactions. In the first hour, the market witnessed huge selling pressure, and shares and mutual funds worth Tk 95.5 crore were traded. During this time, a total of 365 companies participated in trading. Among these, prices of 184 companies increased, 106 companies decreased and 75 companies remained unchanged at the DSE.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) ended Tuesday’s trading with a downtrend. Trading started in the morning with an upward trend, but indexes started to drop after 12 pm. According to the trade record, the DSEX (broad index) decreased by 8.06 points to settle at 5,190.77 points, compared to 33.67 points up in the previous session (Monday). The Shariah-based DSES index fell by 2.69 points to settle at 1158.89 points, and the DS30 blue-chip index increased by 10.87 points to settle at 1922.74 points on Tuesday. A total of 17.14 crore shares and units changed hands through 127188 transactions, while 12.87 crore shares were traded in the previous session. A total of Tk 427.5 crore worth of shares and bonds were traded in the DSE on Tuesday which saw an increase from the previous session of Tk 362.6 crore. Out of the 399 companies that participated in trading, 162 advanced, 164 declined and 73 remained unchanged at the DSE. Read: DSEX index gains 33.67 points, prices of 223 companies up The port city bourse, CSE, also settled on an upward trend of trading. The All-Share Price Index (CASPI) increased by 36.6 points and settled at 14502.88 points. On the CSE, 206 companies participated in trading. Of them, 115 companies recorded price gains, 61 companies saw decline, and 30 companies remained unchanged. At the CSE, shares and units of 27.26 lakh changed hands through 1966 transactions. The value of trading shares and units was Tk 6.73 crore, which was Tk 8.49 crore in the previous session.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the country's main capital market, saw a mixed trend of trading in the first hour on Monday. The 3 indexes of the Dhaka stock market DSEX, DSES went up, and DS30 decreased in the first session of the second day of the week. The main index DSEX increased by 6.91 points to 5,172.08 points, the DSES Shariah index up by 2.73 points to 1150.85 points, and the DS30 special blue-chip index down by 0.34 points to 1919.27 points during the first hour on Monday. DSEX index drops by 34.44 points, prices of 270 companies decrease On the day, the trading record in the DSE shows that shares and units of 3.31 crore were exchanged through 27171 transactions. In the first hour, the market witnessed huge selling pressure, and shares and mutual funds worth Tk 81.5 crore were traded. During this time, a total of 357 companies participated in trading. Among these, prices of 174 companies increased, 90 companies decreased and 93 companies remained unchanged at the DSE.