B MirrorDesk : A significant meeting took place today, May 17, involving various stakeholders from the nation’s stock market, organized by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). This meeting occurred at the BSEC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, and was attended by commissioners, executive directors, and directors, including Chairman Khandaker Rashed Maksud. High-ranking representatives from the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), DSE Brokers Association (DBA), Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA), and Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) were present. Among the notable attendees were DSE Chairman Mominul Islam, CSE Chairman AKM Habibur Rahman, DBA President Saiful Islam, DSE Directors Minhaj Mannan Emon, Shakil Rizvi, and Richard D. Rosario, DSE Acting Managing Director Satwik Ahmed Shah, DBA Senior Vice President Md. Saifuddin, BMBA President Majeda Khatun, and ICB Managing Director Niranjan Chandra Debnath.

The meeting discussed various proposals and actions to make the stock market dynamic in light of the instructions of the Chief Advisor. Among the issues discussed were: fixing the tax rate gap between listed and unlisted companies at a minimum of 10 percent, tax exemption on dividend income up to Tk 1 lakh, sustainable solution to negative equity, BO account maintenance fee and capital gains tax exemption, reduction in advance tax (AIT) applicable on brokers’ turnover, initiatives to list large domestic, state-owned and multinational companies in the market, proposal to transfer the auction of Government Securities (G-Sec) to the stock market platform, recommendations to ensure the safety of investors’ money.

During the meeting, the Managing Director of ICB suggested allocating 20% of this year’s mutual fund income as a provision, while distributing the remaining 80% as dividends to unitholders. Additionally, it was agreed to hold a coordination meeting on the last Thursday of each month to enhance BSEC’s ongoing communication and collaboration with stakeholders.