The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) plans to ease regulatory compliance requirements for listed companies while strengthening surveillance and enforcement to improve overall market integrity, its newly appointed Chairman Masud Khan said on Thursday.
Speaking at his first press conference at the BSEC office in Dhaka, he said the regulator will review the current quarterly financial reporting framework, noting that existing disclosure requirements in some cases exceed international standards and impose unnecessary costs on listed firms.
He added that the commission will reassess interim reporting structures, frequency, and repetitive filing obligations to reduce compliance pressure on companies, while ensuring that transparency and investor protection are not compromised.
“Regulate where necessary, simplify where possible,” he said, stressing that the goal is to remove redundant reporting requirements that add cost without meaningful value.
At the same time, Masud Khan said the BSEC will strengthen monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to curb market manipulation, insider trading, and other irregular practices that undermine investor confidence.
He said the regulator aims to rebuild trust in the capital market and transform it from a retail-driven frontier market into a more transparent, institution-led emerging market capable of attracting long-term domestic and foreign investment.
The BSEC chairman acknowledged long-standing challenges in the market, including weak investor confidence, limited participation by strong listed companies, and declining foreign interest. He said many quality local and multinational firms have remained outside the stock market despite being eligible for listing.
To address these issues, the commission plans regulatory simplification, greater use of digital systems for IPO approvals, disclosures, licensing, and filings, and a shift toward a principles-based, risk-oriented regulatory framework.
On enforcement, he said the BSEC will enhance real-time surveillance across exchanges and relevant institutions to detect manipulation more quickly. Special attention will be given to high-risk securities categories.
Masud Khan reiterated that the regulator’s objective is not to influence share prices but to ensure fair price discovery and equal access to information, adding that future performance will be judged by outcomes rather than announcements.
