Govt moves to offload MNC shares in capital market
The goal is to broaden the capital base, deepen market liquidity, and offer investors access to fundamentally strong entities
The Ministry of Industries has initiated discussions with state-owned enterprises and the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) to expedite the offloading of government and foreign-held shares of multinational companies (MNCs).
The move is aimed at boosting the depth and dynamism of the capital market.
A high-level meeting was held on Thursday (31 July 2025) at the ministry's conference room, chaired by Industries Secretary Obaidur Rahman as part of efforts to implement directives from the chief adviser to review, strengthen, and expand the country's capital market.
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The key agenda of the meeting centred on the interim government's plan to offload at least 5% of its holdings — and an equal portion of foreign-owned shares — in companies where it holds equity.
Officials claimed this initiative aims to enhance public participation in well-performing firms and will help revitalise investor confidence.
Top officials from the Ministry of Industries, including Additional Secretaries Rashidul Hasan and Nuruzzaman, Joint Secretary Sajedur Rahman, and Deputy Secretary Nurun Nahar, attended the meeting.
Executives from several prominent companies with government ownership were present, including Unilever Bangladesh, Nuvista Pharma, Sanofi Bangladesh, IPDC Finance, Reckitt Benckiser (Bangladesh), The Bengal Glass Works, Mirpur Ceramic Works, Himadri Ltd, and Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company.
On behalf of ICB, Managing Director Niranjan Chandra Debnath and ICB Capital Management CEO Majeda Khatun participated in the discussions. The chairman of BCIC and the director general of BSRB were also present.
According to meeting insiders, the government is pushing to bring quality stocks into the market through strategic offloading of shares, particularly from high-performing MNCs where it still holds stakes.
The goal is to broaden the capital base, deepen market liquidity, and offer investors access to fundamentally strong entities.
During the meeting, stakeholders discussed the roadmap and readiness of the companies to comply with the share offloading policy, and the steps needed to ensure a smooth transition to listing or expanded float in the secondary market.
