Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) Chairman Mominul Islam has said that the existing problems in the country’s stock market must be resolved before finalizing the new rules. According to him, various long-standing unresolved issues have become major obstacles to listing good companies in the stock market.

Speaking as the chair of a discussion session titled “Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Public Offer of Equity Securities) Rules, 2025” held on Wednesday (19 November) at the DSE Tower in Nikunja, the capital, he made these remarks.

The DSE Chairman said that the stock market faces many problems. Unless these issues are resolved, good companies will not be encouraged to get listed. Therefore, the problems must be identified and resolved through discussions before the rules are finalized.

In his view, without clear rules, it often becomes difficult for regulatory bodies to take necessary initiatives. As a result, the problems accumulate and eventually push the market into crisis.

He further said that the number of good companies in the market is very small. New and quality IPOs must be brought in. To expand the market, it is essential to first create an environment that attracts good companies to list.

At the event, SM Golam Samdani Bhuiyan, President of the Capital Market Journalists Forum (CMJF), said that delays in IPO approval are one of the biggest barriers to stock market growth. Currently, it takes one to one and a half years for an IPO to be approved, whereas companies can secure capital from banks in just 15 days to a month.

He added that no new IPOs have entered the stock market in the past two years. Due to the absence of good IPOs, the market has been unable to overcome its negative trend.

The event was jointly organized by the DSE and the DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh (DBA). Attendees included representatives from the Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA), Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC), BGMEA, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries (BAPI), and various other stock market stakeholders.