B Mirror Report: The recent publication and enforcement of the IPO Rules in the gazette, as a result of the efforts and hard work of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and market stakeholders, have significantly increased the opportunities and potential to bring good new companies to the capital market, said BSEC Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood.

He made the remarks on Wednesday (January 7) at a courtesy meeting with the newly elected Executive Committee of the Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA) at the BSEC building in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The meeting was attended by BSEC Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood; Commissioners Md Mohsin Chowdhury, Md Ali Akbar, Farzana Lalarukh, and Md Saifuddin; as well as executive directors, directors, and other relevant officials. Various issues related to the development of the capital market were discussed in detail at the meeting.

On behalf of the BSEC, congratulations and best wishes were extended to the newly elected Executive Committee of the BMBA, along with a call to work together for the welfare of the capital market.

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood said, “One of the key responsibilities of the BMBA is issue management, underwriting, and portfolio management. As a result of the collective efforts of the BSEC and market participants, the IPO Rules have recently been published in the gazette and come into effect. By making the IPO Rules more up-to-date, the opportunities and prospects for bringing good new companies to the capital market have increased manifold. BSEC hopes that the BMBA and its member issue managers will work to bring quality companies to the capital market. In this regard, BSEC has always maintained a positive approach and will provide all kinds of support to ensure the listing of good companies.”

He emphasized enhancing the capacity of merchant banks in areas such as capital formation, portfolio management, and corporate advisory services, noting that improvements in the capacity, efficiency, and ethical standards of merchant banks would attract investors and all other market participants more strongly to the capital market.

At the meeting, BSEC Commissioner Farzana Lalarukh said that every merchant bank and merchant banking association should have informative webpages and web portals. Such webpages and portals containing accurate information would help raise awareness among investors and market participants and make them more informed and capable.

The meeting began at 11:00 am in the Commission Meeting Room of the BSEC building, with the presence of the BSEC Chairman, all commissioners, and all members of the Executive Committee of the Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA).

According to information shared with the media, participants from the BMBA included President Iftekhar Alam, General Secretary Sumit Poddar, Vice President Md Monirul Haque, Treasurer Syed Rashed Hossain, and members Gazi Mohammad Tarek, Suman Kumar Kundu, and Md Sohel Haque.