The Financial Institutions Division (FID) under the Ministry of Finance has decided to terminate ATM Tariquzzaman from his role as commissioner at the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). According to an official FID order issued on Wednesday (11 September), he will receive a three-month notice before his dismissal, with his tenure ending on 10 December.
Tariquzzaman had only been appointed as BSEC commissioner on 8 May, following his resignation as Executive Director of the commission. In September 2023, he briefly served as Managing Director of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) before stepping down to take the BSEC role.
The development comes in the wake of the fall of the Hasina-led government on 5 August, after which BSEC Chairman Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, along with Commissioners Shaikh Shamsuddin Ahmed and Rubana Islam, resigned. However, Tariquzzaman and fellow Commissioner Mohsin Chowdhury chose not to relinquish their positions.
In response, the interim government appointed Khondoker Rashed Maqsood as BSEC chairman, with Ali Akbar and Farzana Lalarukh joining as commissioners.
The political transition also triggered upheaval in the Dhaka Stock Exchange. According to BSEC and DSE sources, seven independent directors of the DSE resigned following the fall of the previous government, creating legal complications for the commission in selecting replacements. The BSEC disregarded the DSE’s recommendations and on 1 September appointed independent directors unilaterally, sparking discontent among DSE shareholders who viewed the decision as arbitrary.
Sources indicated that ATM Tariquzzaman had played a significant role in BSEC’s decision-making, which included appointing independent directors KAM Majedur Rahman, Helal Uddin, and Nahid Hossain—all of whom faced allegations of conflicts of interest. Majedur and Helal were accused of having ties to brokerage houses, while Nahid Hossain, as Additional Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, was deemed ineligible under the law to serve as an independent director. Majedur Rahman has since refused the position.
The DSE Brokers Association expressed concerns in a letter dated 5 September, accusing the BSEC of making “anti-investor, non-transparent, and self-serving” decisions, leading to instability in the capital market. The association called for a revision of the selection process for appointing independent directors, urging the invocation of Clause 24 of the Demutualisation Act 2013 to form a Nomination and Remuneration Committee with four elected DSE directors to recommend candidates for BSEC’s approval.