BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury today addressed a discussion at DSE office in capital's Nikunjo area. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, May 24, 2025 (BSS) - BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury today observed that the national election is possible before December as he sees no problem to arrange the polls. 

"We do not see any crisis to hold polls before December. Now the main focus is democratic transition through elections,” he said at a function here today.

Khasru was addressing a discussion titled ‘Capital Market in Bangladesh Discourse: Philosophy and Practice’ organized by DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh (DBA) at DSE office in Nikunjo here.

He said the sooner the country will shift to democracy, the sooner it will be better for the country. 

Khasru, also a former commerce minister said, investment is the foremost prerequisite for take the country forward.

“The capital market is completely alienated from our economy and there is no ownership of the capital market in the economy now,” the BNP leader said.

Khasru said the capital market must be revived to ensure investment in the future. For this, political ownership is needed, he said. 

Alleging that the capital market has turned into a “casino”, he said, a group comes here and plays games. It’s going on for the last 15 years. 

He said, the capital market needs qualitative changes and transparency and accountability must be ensured.

He claimed all major reforms in the financial sector of Bangladesh were done when BNP was in power. 

If BNP comes to power, he said, reforms and restructuring of the capital market will be conducted from a place of responsibility for augmenting investment up to $500 billion.

Distinguished Fellow of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya said it is not possible to keep the capital market stable unless the regulatory bodies and structures are strengthened. 

If culprits involved with irregularities and corrupts are not punished, the irregularities will be repeated, he said.

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Commissioner Md. Mohsin Chowdhury, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Md. Mubarak Hossain, Policy Exchange Bangladesh Chairman Dr. Mashrur Riaz, National Citizens Party (NCP) Joint Convener Tasnuva Jabin, ICMAB President Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, among others, also spoke on the occasion.