DHAKA, July 18, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Chairman Masud Khan today said that there is no need to organize overseas roadshows to attract investors, stressing that restoring confidence in the capital market depends on bringing fundamentally strong companies to the stock exchanges.

"If we can list good companies in the market, investor confidence will automatically improve," he said, adding that the commission is currently operating independently without any political pressure.

He made the remarks while addressing a shadow parliament debate titled "Necessary Steps to Restore Confidence in the Capital Market", organized by Debate for Democracy at the FDC in the capital.

Masud Khan said spending money on roadshows in the name of attracting investment is not justified. 

Instead, listing financially sound and reputed companies would make the market naturally attractive to investors, he added.

He said that the commission has taken initiatives to bring large multinational and leading local companies to the market through direct listing to reduce procedural delays.

The BSEC chief said the regulator has also introduced regular audits and various reform measures to curb irregularities at brokerage houses, expressing hope that these initiatives would enhance market transparency and help restore investors' confidence.

He emphasized that ensuring good governance and accountability in the capital market requires strong political commitment. 

Referring to the government's policy commitments, he said positive steps are being taken to implement reforms, while the prime minister and finance minister have assured the commission that it can function independently.

"As a result, there is currently no political pressure on the BSEC," he added.

On the recently merged five banks and several financial institutions, Masud Khan said Bangladesh Bank would take the necessary decisions to protect the interests of general depositors and investors after assessing their liabilities against assets.

Speaking as president of the event, Debate for Democracy Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron said the country's capital market has suffered a prolonged crisis of confidence due to years of manipulation, weak regulation and poor governance.

However, he said some recent initiatives by the current commission, particularly the withdrawal of the long-debated floor price mechanism, were timely steps toward restoring normalcy in the market.

Kiron alleged that massive amounts of money had been siphoned off from the stock market over the past one and a half decades through manipulation and fraud, causing significant losses to small investors, many of whom had left the market.

He also said Bangladesh continues to lag behind in attracting foreign investment, adding that political stability, good governance and transparency in the capital market are essential to increasing overseas investment.

In the shadow parliament debate, Primeasia University emerged champion after defeating Sonargaon University on the motion that "The crisis of confidence in the capital market has been created mainly due to weak regulation."

Trophies, crests and certificates were distributed among the winning and participating teams at the end of the programme.