Editorial, News & commercial office:
55/A, H M Siddique Mansion (Level-7), Purana Paltan, Motijhel C/A, Dhaka-1000. Phone: +8802226640056,
e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
The government has drafted the Bangladesh Capital Market Stabilization Fund Act, 2026 to enhance stability in the capital market and strengthen investor protection.
According to the Financial Institutions Division, the proposed law aims to transform the Bangladesh Capital Market Stabilization Fund (CMSF) into a more effective and self-sustaining statutory body while ensuring greater transparency and accountability in managing unclaimed cash dividends, shares and other financial assets.
The draft law is currently under policy review by the Ministry of Finance.
Market stakeholders believe the law would enable the CMSF to operate as a modern centralized cash dividend distribution platform, making dividend payments by listed companies more digital, transparent and streamlined.
The proposal would also allow investors to obtain withholding tax certificates and tax payment records for dividends through a single platform, simplifying tax-related procedures.
The draft seeks to establish the CMSF as a statutory institution with a defined legal framework governing asset management, administration, oversight and accountability.
It proposes that long-unclaimed cash dividends, bonus shares, rights shares, refund money, IPO proceeds and unpaid Qualified Investor Offer (QIO) funds be managed under the CMSF. Legitimate owners or their legal heirs would be able to reclaim these assets through a verification process.
The law also provides for a governing board, day-to-day management under a Chief Executive Officer, mandatory audits, financial record-keeping, annual reporting and public disclosure requirements.
In addition, it includes provisions for penalties in cases involving concealment of information, misleading disclosures or misuse of fund-related assets. The proposal would replace the existing Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Capital Market Stabilization Fund) Rules, 2021.
CMSF Additional Director (Operations) Md Wasi Azam said the proposed legislation would modernize the country's dividend distribution system while enabling investors to access tax-related documents through a single platform, making the overall process more efficient and transparent.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/business/1f18e307-3262-6490-985b-b486fce0ef81