Staff Correspondent
About officers and employees working abstention demanding resignation of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood, he replied, "We will be firm on our mission and will not bow down to any unjust."
"Today (Thursday) we talked to the government and they told us to continue the job we are doing and strengthen it," he told the reporters at the BSEC on Thursday at BSEC Bhaban in Agargaon.
Maqsood told reporters, "Today, the government spoke with us. They have instructed us to continue our work with even greater determination."
What will you do if the staff does not work? Responding to this question, Commissioner Farzana Lalarukh said, "We will urge them to return to work."
When asked what she will do if they do not join the duty despite your call, she said they will see it.
The officers and employees at the BSEC began a work stoppage this morning, demanding the resignation of the commission's chairman and three commissioners.
On the day at 3 pm, the BSEC Chairman and other commissioners entered the BSEC building with tight security.
With the help of army and coast guard personnel, BSEC Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood and commissioners Farzana Lalarukh, Ali Akbar, and Mohasin Chowhury entered the building at around 3:00 pm on Thursday.
Besides, at a press conference on Thursday, BSEC Officers Welfare Association member secretary and BSEC additional director Miraj Us Sunnah made four demands in a written statement. Members of the BSEC Officers Welfare Association were present at the time.
Highlighting the demands, Miraj Us Sunnah said that the current commission should resign immediately. An unconditional apology should be made for calling the army to lathicharge the commission's officers and employees through false information.
A chairman and commissioner with experience in the capital market should be appointed for BSEC through the direct intervention of the chief advisor, he said.
As part of the reform, BSEC should be recognized as an independent institution free from political interference and implemented quickly, he added.
Officers and employees of BSEC have continued the demonstration demanding the resignation of its chairman and commissioners.
If they do not resign, officers and employees of BSEC will go into a work abstention from March 6.
On Wednesday, the chairman and commissioners of BSEC were confined by the commission's employees in protest against the forced retirement of Executive Director Saifur Rahman.
To tackle the situation, additional law enforcers, including the army, were deployed in front of the BSEC building.
Later, with the help of army personnel, they left their office.
Wednesday night, BSEC Chairman said through statements that a group of unruly officers at the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission caused massive disruption on Wednesday, hindering the commission's operations during an ongoing investigation into irregularities in the capital market.
The officers' actions have raised serious concerns about internal discipline and the functioning of this key financial institution.
The BSEC had formed a committee to probe various irregularities involving 12 listed companies, with the committee already submitting seven investigation reports.
Based on these reports, charges were being formulated against various institutions in the capital market, as well as certain BSEC officials.
In response to the investigations and multiple complaints, the commission's Executive Director, Saifur Rahman, was sent on forced retirement on March 4, 2025, after 25 years of service, following the due process.
