B Mirror Report:  The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Swisscontact Bangladesh have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at making the country’s capital market more sustainable, inclusive, and effective, with a special focus on supporting the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector.

The agreement was signed on Sunday in the presence of senior officials from both organisations, including DSE Managing Director Nuzhat Anwar and Swisscontact Bangladesh Country Director Helal Hossain.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, DSE Managing Director Nuzhat Anwar said the initiative was implemented through mutual cooperation and strategic planning, and it is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of the SME sector.

She emphasized that capacity building, corporate governance, and compliance support are essential to increasing SME participation in the capital market.

Swisscontact Bangladesh Country Director Helal Hossain said that although SMEs are a major driving force of Bangladesh’s economy, the sector continues to face challenges related to financing, competitiveness, and regulatory compliance.

He noted that creating alternative financing opportunities and equity-based capital access for SMEs has become increasingly important in the current economic context. He expressed hope that the partnership with DSE would encourage promising SMEs to enter the capital market.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will jointly work in strategic sectors including ready-made garments, healthcare, and agriculture. They will also collaborate on initiatives related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, sustainability reporting, entrepreneurship development, financial inclusion, climate resilience, trade facilitation, and skills development.

The MoU also includes plans for joint capacity-building programmes, awareness workshops, incubation support, and advisory services to encourage greater participation in the capital market.

In addition, the partnership will support the development of sustainable financing instruments such as green bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, sukuk, and blended finance models.