Dhaka //

Demanding to identify and punish those who looted the stock market in the past, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that those who looted the stock market and left ordinary investors destitute must be brought to justice. They must be punished. Otherwise, they will continue this work directly or indirectly.

He made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion titled ‘Current Situation and Future Path of Bangladesh’ organized by the DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh’ at the hall of the Dhaka Stock Exchange building located in Nikunja in the capital on Wednesday afternoon.

Former Commerce Minister Amir Khasru emphasized the need to reduce government control over the stock market and form an independent commission. He said that if the stock market is not deregulated, there are many risks ahead for this sector. If there is transparency in the stock market, the common people will have confidence in investing in it. Along with this, if the broker houses start their activities, there will also be employment opportunities for educated youth.

Stating that the stock market will be given importance if the BNP comes to power, he said, “If an elected government comes in the future and we get that opportunity, then we will hold the capital market. Many people are looking forward to investing here when transparency returns.”

The keynote speaker of the event, Professor Dr. Rashed Mahmud Titumir, Chairman of the Development Studies Department of Dhaka University, said that the country’s economy has been 322.2 percent more negative from 2009 to 2023. This has created a wound in the financial accounts.

He emphasized on people’s ownership in the stock market, determining political settlements, ensuring benefits for the middle class, formulating an equality-based economic system, and freeing the stock market from political influence.

Former BSEC Chairman Faruk Ahmed Siddiqui, who said that investment in the private sector is only 7 percent at the meeting, said that long-term investment is not possible in an interim government. The stock market has been facing long-term problems in the last 15 years. The capital market has been stagnant for one and a half years. There were political reasons behind this.

He said that to save the capital market, it is necessary to bring funds from the money market to the capital market. The former BSEC chairman expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the task force, along with the current commission becoming more active.

At this time, other guests who spoke included BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s advisor Zahir Uddin Swapan, Mass Solidarity Movement Chief Coordinator Jonayed Saki, BGIC Director Shakil Rizvi Chowdhury, CSE Director Mohammad Mohiuddin, CMJF President Golam Samdani, ERF President Daulat Akhter Mala, DBA former President Ahmed Rashid Lali, and others.

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