Hasina asks investors not to worry about stock market

Sheikh Hasina has asked the stock market investors not to be alarmed as she sought to reassure them of government measures for make the market perform better.

The prime minister spoke about the issue in her closing speech at the second session of the 11th parliament in Dhaka on Tuesday in the wake of discontent among the investors over the free fall in share prices.

“I would say there isn’t anything to be much worried. I held a meeting until about 10 in the night some days ago in this parliament to determine how it can be fixed,” she said. 

The Securities and Exchange Commission has taken some measures after the meeting with the prime minister amid agitations by retail investors.

File Photo

Key indices at Dhaka Stock Exchange and Chattogram Stock Exchange rose slightly on Tuesday after dipping to a 27-month low on Monday following continuous fall.

Harun-ur-Rashid MP, who joined parliament a day ago, said: “I don’t know why the share market experiences fall whenever this party (Awami League) is in power. Hundreds of thousands of people lost everything in the 1996 stock market debacle.”

“Investors are protesting again as the share market is experiencing fall for some days. The fall can’t be stopped. Money is going out of the country because of this fall,” he added.

Hasina, too, said “many things” had happened to the share market in the past. 

“We’ve also taken steps to keep it stable. The government is doing whatever it can. We are taking steps to control the market so that it doesn’t fall after recovery,” she said.

The prime minister also alerted the investors to manipulation. “Of course, we are taking action and will continue to do so if someone wants to play games with the market.”

She urged the investors to move with caution. “They must accept the fact that there can be both profits and losses after investing in the share market.”

“It’s much like gambling. So the investors must check carefully a company’s real condition before buying its shares,” she said.

WASA WATER

Amid intense criticism of WASA for the poor quality of the water it supplies, the prime minister said it should also be checked whether the building owners were keeping water tanks clean.

“These should be cleaned after every three to four months,” she said.  

“You must check whether your water tank is clean before asking someone to drink lemonade made from the water,” Hasina said

Hasina also criticised a protester who recently demanded that Dhaka WASA Managing Director Taqsem A Khan drink lemonade from water his agency supplies after Taqsem claimed that the water was completely drinkable.

TIGERS’ JERSEY

Hasina slated the critics of the national cricket team’s jersey unveiled on Monday for the World Cup.

“Bangladesh was written in red on the green jersey, but the ICC objected to it. (ICC) said that white, not red, can be used to write it,” the prime minister said. 

“This dress code must be followed in international games. It’s not that the jersey has become Pakistan’s jersey because of (ICC dress code being followed),” she added.

Bangladesh Cricket Board has already changed the colour of the jersey by adding red.

Read the story in Bangla: পুঁজিবাজার নিয়ে শঙ্কার কিছু নেই: প্রধানমন্ত্রী