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FID to Dismiss BSEC Commissioner Tariquzzaman Amid Market Tensions

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The Financial Institutions Division (FID) under the Ministry of Finance has decided to terminate ATM Tariquzzaman from his role as commissioner at the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). According to an official FID order issued on Wednesday (11 September), he will receive a three-month notice before his dismissal, with his tenure ending on 10 December.

Tariquzzaman had only been appointed as BSEC commissioner on 8 May, following his resignation as Executive Director of the commission. In September 2023, he briefly served as Managing Director of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) before stepping down to take the BSEC role.

The development comes in the wake of the fall of the Hasina-led government on 5 August, after which BSEC Chairman Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, along with Commissioners Shaikh Shamsuddin Ahmed and Rubana Islam, resigned. However, Tariquzzaman and fellow Commissioner Mohsin Chowdhury chose not to relinquish their positions.

In response, the interim government appointed Khondoker Rashed Maqsood as BSEC chairman, with Ali Akbar and Farzana Lalarukh joining as commissioners.

The political transition also triggered upheaval in the Dhaka Stock Exchange. According to BSEC and DSE sources, seven independent directors of the DSE resigned following the fall of the previous government, creating legal complications for the commission in selecting replacements. The BSEC disregarded the DSE’s recommendations and on 1 September appointed independent directors unilaterally, sparking discontent among DSE shareholders who viewed the decision as arbitrary.

Sources indicated that ATM Tariquzzaman had played a significant role in BSEC’s decision-making, which included appointing independent directors KAM Majedur Rahman, Helal Uddin, and Nahid Hossain—all of whom faced allegations of conflicts of interest. Majedur and Helal were accused of having ties to brokerage houses, while Nahid Hossain, as Additional Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, was deemed ineligible under the law to serve as an independent director. Majedur Rahman has since refused the position.

The DSE Brokers Association expressed concerns in a letter dated 5 September, accusing the BSEC of making “anti-investor, non-transparent, and self-serving” decisions, leading to instability in the capital market. The association called for a revision of the selection process for appointing independent directors, urging the invocation of Clause 24 of the Demutualisation Act 2013 to form a Nomination and Remuneration Committee with four elected DSE directors to recommend candidates for BSEC’s approval.

 

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Dhaka Bourse Surge

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Dhaka Stock Market DSE, Bourse on the last working day of the week, 19th September, ended with a hike in Indices and Turnover from the previous working session. This information is known from DSE sources.

594 crore 77 lakh taka shares were traded on this day. 41 crore 11 lakh less tradings were done in DSE today compared to the previous workday, 18th September, Shares worth Tk 553 crores 65 lakh shares were traded last time, Wednesday.

The benchmark DSEX added 41.13 points or 5,735 The Shariah-based index DSES gained 12.13 point or 1,257 and the blue-chip index DS30 increased by 29.46 points or 2,106.

Of the issues traded, 150 advanced, 191 declined and 56 remained unchanged.

SK Trims Limited ranked top gainer on DSE, the share price increased by Tk 1.50 paisa or 8.57 percent. On this day, the share was last traded at Tk 19.00 paisa.

Hami Industries PLC ranked top loser on the DSE, the share price dropped by Tk 9.80 paisa or 9.40 percent. On this day, the share was last traded at Tk 94.50 paisa.

DSE topped on trade is grameenphone Limited 31 crore 47 lakh takas of company shares have been traded.

A total of 33 companies’ shares were traded in the Block on Dhaka Stock Exchange. A total of 1 crore 70 lakh 41 thousand 263 shares of the companies were traded. The financial value of which is 49 crore 16 lakh taka.

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Tokyo surges on weak yen as Asian traders cheer big US rate cut

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Tokyo’s Nikkei led Asian markets higher Thursday as the yen hit a two-week high after the Federal Reserve announced a bumper interest rate cut and pledged a series of further reductions that boosted sentiment.

After a keenly awaited meeting the US central bank decided to lower borrowing costs for the first time since the start of the pandemic by opting for a half-point reduction.

However, the bigger of two options — some had expected a 25-basis-point cut — split opinion, with some warning it could reignite inflation while others said it showed the bank was keeping ahead of the curve in supporting the economy in light of weak jobs data.

The bank’s “dot plot” guidance indicated another 50 points of reductions before January, followed by 100 next year and 50 in 2026.

After the meeting, Fed boss Jerome Powell said the economy was in “good shape” pointing to lower inflation and solid growth.

“The labour market is in a strong place. We want to keep it there,” he told reporters.

But he cautioned that the central bank would “go carefully” and weigh the matter “meeting by meeting” as it looks to keep easing.

“It is time to recalibrate our policy to something that is more appropriate, given the progress on inflation, and on employment moving to a more sustainable level.

“This is the beginning of that process.”

Equities have rallied through the year on expectations the cycle of tightening, which started in 2022, would come to an end this year as inflation slows and the labour market softens.

But, after an initial burst higher following the announcement — pushing the S&P 500 to a new record — Wall Street retreated and ended in the red.

Analysts pointed out that investors had largely factored in 125 points of reductions this year, so a correction in valuations was to be expected.

Christian Hoffmann at Thornburg Investment Management said: “Considering the one dissenting voice from a governor… the Fed must have grappled with concerns not just about doing too much versus too little, but also concerns about signalling to markets, and perhaps more subtly, political optics and legacy considerations.

“The setup for this meeting was not ideal. With the market almost evenly split between a 25 basis point and 50 basis point cut, hopes were bound to be dashed. On top of that, US equity indices rallied nearly every day last week and are flirting with all-time highs and elevated valuations.”

Asian markets brushed off the weak US lead and mostly rose, with Tokyo piling on more than two percent as exporters were boosted by a weaker yen, which hit almost 144 per dollar, a level last seen at the start of the month.

That was just days after breaking below 140 for the first time since last summer.

There were also healthy gains in Hong Kong, where the de facto central bank lowered its own rates owing to the city’s currency peg to the dollar, while Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta also advanced.

Investors are now turning their attention to the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting, which concludes Friday and is expected to see officials stand pat, having sent markets into turmoil last month with a surprise hike — after doing so earlier this year for the first time since 2007.

Gold was sitting around $2,550, having burst to a new record high above $2,600 as the prospect of lower rates makes the precious metal more attractive as an investment.

– Key figures around 0230 GMT –

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 2.5 percent at 37,284.43 (break)

Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.6 percent at 17,757.70

Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 2,725.31

Dollar/yen: UP at 143.61 yen from 142.29 yen on Wednesday

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3182 from $1.3207

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1092 from $1.1120

Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.14 pence from 84.17 pence

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.8 percent at $70.37 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.5 percent at $73.26 per barrel

New York – Dow: DOWN 0.3 percent at 41,503.10 (close)

London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.7 percent at 8,253.68 (close)

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BSEC Appoints New Independent Directors to DSE, CSE Boards

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The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has appointed two new independent directors to the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) board, following a dispute that prevented the previous appointees from assuming their positions. Additionally, seven independent directors have been appointed to the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). These decisions were made during a commission meeting held on September 18, 2024.

According to a press release from BSEC, the newly appointed independent directors for the DSE are AF Nesaruddin, partner at Hoda Vasi Chowdhury and Co., and Syeda Zakeerin Bakht Nasir, chief consultant and CEO of Z N Consultants. They will replace KAM Majedur Rahman and Helal Uddin, who were unable to take up their roles due to concerns over their appointments violating board regulations. Both individuals have since declined their positions.

The seven independent directors appointed to the CSE are Alamgir Morshed, CEO of Infrastructure Development Company; Professor Saiful Islam from BUET; AKM Habibur Rahman, former managing director of Teletalk; Professor Mahmud Hassan from North South University; M Zulfiquar Hussain, CEO of Grow n Excel; Naznin Sultana, Finance Director at Asian University for Women; and Farida Yasmin, Deputy Secretary at the Financial Institutions Division.

This reshuffling follows a political shift in early August, after which the BSEC verbally requested all independent directors from both the DSE and CSE to resign. On September 1, the BSEC had already appointed seven independent directors to the DSE, though none have yet assumed their roles.

The DSE board, as per the demutualisation scheme, consists of 13 members: seven independent directors, five shareholder directors (one representing strategic investors), and the managing director, who serves as an ex-officio member.

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