Written by The Banking Post
Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury has stressed the need to raise awareness about the fundamental difference between Sukuk and traditional bonds.
“Sukuk generates profit, while bonds pay interest. People must understand this distinction,” he said while addressing a seminar on Bangladesh’s bond and Sukuk markets at the DSE Tower on Monday. The event was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE).
Dr Anisuzzaman underlined the urgency of regulatory reforms, noting that the country has “repeatedly failed to learn from past mistakes” in designing investment tools to retain domestic funds.
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed attended the seminar as chief guest, while DSE Independent Director Syeda Zakeerin Bakht Nasir presided over the session. Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur, BSEC Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood, Financial Institutions Division Secretary Najma Mobarek, and DBA President Saiful Islam were also present.
Delivering the keynote, Kabir Hassan, Professor at the University of New Orleans, highlighted large-scale corruption in the banking sector, pointing to conglomerates such as Beximco and S Alam for weakening the system. He alleged that S Alam Group had severely damaged Islami Bank and the broader Islamic banking network.
Hassan also noted that Bangladesh’s corporate bond market remains underdeveloped due to the dominance of bank loans. He urged stronger legal frameworks, financial literacy, and a greater push for long-term financing through bonds and Sukuk.
