BSEC officials return to work, ending the work abstention

Officials and employees of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) resumed work today (9 March), ending the work abstention that had been called to demand the resignation of the chairman and commissioners.

Several officials stated that they had returned to the office as per the regular routine, but no work was being carried out. They expressed concerns about the overall situation.

However, none of the 16 individuals named in a case filed for confining the BSEC chairman and commissioners inside a meeting room for four hours on Wednesday (5 March), have come to the office.

In the case filed at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, 16 individuals, including the Commission's Executive Director Saifur Rahman, Mahbubul Alam, and Rezaul Karim, have been named as defendants.

Last Thursday (6 March), the commission's officials staged a work stoppage, demanding the resignation of Chairman Khandaker Rashed Maqsood and commissioners, leading to the closure of the office.

In light of the situation at the commission, a meeting was held with stakeholders from the stock market today.

After the meeting, DSE Chairman Mominul Islam told the media, "The commission has the full trust of its stakeholders. Even if someone is upset about an issue, there is always an opportunity to protest through the proper channels. No one should resort to taking anyone hostage."

The dispute began following the forced retirement of BSEC's Executive Director Saifur Rahman, sparking outrage among officials and employees.

On 5 March, the BSEC officials staged a protest with four demands, including the reinstatement of Saifur Rahman and the removal of the new chairman and commissioners.

They confined the chairman and three commissioners inside a meeting room for nearly four hours. The situation was brought under control after army personnel intervened and rescued them.