The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on Wednesday urged companies seeking to raise capital through initial public offerings (IPOs) to apply immediately, assuring that possible future regulatory reforms will not delay ongoing application processes.
The regulator said in a statement that companies currently applying or planning to apply under the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Public Offer of Equity Securities) Rules, 2025 do not need to suspend their applications over possible changes to IPO regulations.
If any reforms, amendments or relaxations are introduced later, eligible applicant companies will receive applicable benefits under the revised framework, BSEC said.
The move comes as the capital market regulator prepares to introduce a separate direct listing route for established companies that want stock market exposure without raising fresh capital.
Under the proposed Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Direct Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange) Rules, 2026, companies that do not require new funds but want existing shareholders to sell shares will be able to seek listing through direct listing.
Unlike an IPO, direct listing will allow companies to enter the stock market without issuing new shares or collecting capital from public investors. Instead, existing shareholders will offload their holdings through the stock exchange.
BSEC has already drafted the direct listing rules and published them for public feedback. The regulator said the rules will come into effect soon after gazette publication.
BSEC said companies needing fresh capital for business expansion or operations could use the IPO route, while established firms with no immediate funding requirement could consider direct listing as an alternative.
The regulator said the two listing mechanisms would expand options for companies based on their capital needs and help increase the participation of capable firms in the country’s capital market.
BSEC said it would continue policy and regulatory reforms aimed at building a deeper, more diversified, transparent and efficient capital market.
Bangladesh capital market has not seen any IPOs in the past two years.
