The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has initiated an investigation into Strategic Equity Management Limited (SEML), an asset management company owned by Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat and his wife. The move comes following allegations of irregularities tied to the firm.
On September 17, the capital market regulator established a committee, led by BSEC Additional Director Md Emdadul Haque, to conduct the inquiry. Other members of the committee include Deputy Director Rafiqun Nabi and Assistant Director Md Abu Hena Mostafa.
According to sources within the regulatory agency, Nafeez, who previously served as the chairman of Padma Bank, allegedly diverted Tk245 crore from the troubled bank into SEML. This misuse of funds prompted BSEC to take swift action and initiate a detailed probe into the company’s operations.
In its notification, BSEC stated that the committee has been given a 60-working-day timeline to submit a report addressing several specific concerns. Key areas of investigation include whether SEML’s investments through the “Alternative Investment Fund of Bangladesh” adhered to regulatory guidelines and investment parameters from its inception to the present day.
The committee is also tasked with collecting concrete evidence related to all investments made by the fund. They will assess any conflicts of interest arising from dealings with individuals or entities connected to the fund manager and trustee.
Furthermore, the investigators will review official bank statements of the fund, tracking account balances at the end of each fiscal year. They will also verify any interest or profits generated from term deposits and other investments with banks or financial institutions throughout the fund’s lifespan.
The probe will examine dividends and capital gains earned from both listed and non-listed securities, and evaluate the fund’s operating expenses, including annual fees, management fees, trustee fees, and other related charges since the fund’s inception.
Additionally, the committee will seek to uncover any illicit payments made from the fund’s accounts that may have benefited the fund manager or other parties. BSEC has emphasized the importance of reviewing these details thoroughly.
The inquiry will also assess the roles of the fund manager and trustee in ensuring proper governance and oversight, in accordance with BSEC’s rules and the fund’s constitutive documents. The committee may address other related matters as deemed necessary during the course of their investigation.