The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) will enforce a minimum investment limit of Tk 30 lakh for trading on its Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) board from October 2023. Investors with a portfolio of at least Tk30 lakh in listed securities will qualify for SME board trading. This decision reinstates a directive by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC).
To be able to register as eligible investors in the DSE’s electronic subscription system (ESS), all interested investors must maintain a minimum investment of Tk 30 lakh in listed securities valued at market price.
The move aims to manage risk and improve market stability on the SME board. Initially, the BSEC set the limit at Tk50 lakh in 2021, later lowering it to Tk20 lakh to attract more investors. As investor participation increased, share prices of small-cap companies surged. However, due to concerns over risk, the limit was raised to Tk30 lakh in September 2022. Investors with Tk20 lakh portfolios were temporarily allowed to trade on the SME board pending the court’s decision.