Dhaka's stock market surged to its highest turnover of 2026 on Thursday as the capital market regulator Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) saw its outgoing chairman resign and a new one appointed on the same day.
Trading on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) hit Tk 1,351 crore by the close of the session, the highest single-day turnover this year, buoyed by renewed investor confidence following the leadership transition at the top securities regulator, according to UNB report.
Markets began climbing in the morning after news of the resignation of BSEC Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood and four commissioners spread around.
Turnover crossed Tk 1,000 crore before noon. Sentiment strengthened further during the session when Masud Khan was appointed as the new BSEC chairman, pushing activity higher through the closing bell.
The previous year-high turnover had been set just a day earlier, when DSE turnover stood at Tk 1,279 crore on Wednesday.
Positive momentum had, in fact, defined the entire week. All four trading sessions since markets reopened Monday following the Eid-ul-Azha holiday recorded gains, with the benchmark index rising on each day.
Thursday was no exception. The flagship DSEX index gained 33 points, the Shariah-based DSES rose 9 points, and the blue-chip DS30 index added 11 points.
Advancers outpaced decliners with 242 companies posting gains against 104 losers, while 45 scripts closed unchanged.
Genex Infosys PLC led the gainers with a 10 percent jump, while Jamuna Bank PLC was the top loser, shedding nearly 10 percent.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed in the green. The all-share index CASPI advanced 83 points, with 152 companies advancing against 74 declining and 29 unchanged. Total turnover at the CSE stood at Tk 27.46 crore.
On Thursday, Khondoker Rashed Maqsood, who was appointed as BSEC chairman during the interim government's tenure, stepped down from the post.
The commissioners who served alongside him -- Md Mohsin Chowdhury, Md Ali Akbar, Farzana Lalarukh, and Md Saifuddin -- also resigned, paving the way for the new leadership team headed by Masud.
Masud had been serving as chairman of Unilever Consumer Care since April 2019. He also worked as chief advisor to the board of Crown Cement Group.
Masud has over four decades of experience across multinational and local companies.
