Bangladesh to remove age limit for hiring stock market, insrance regulator chiefs

A special committee will review both bills and submit a report in a day

The finance minister has placed two amended bills in parliament to remove the age limit during the appointment of top officials of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA).

The BSEC (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was the first of the two tabled by Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Tuesday.

He proposed amending the BSEC Act, 1993 by scrapping the 65-year age limit for appointing the chairman and commissioners of the capital market regulator.

The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which followed the BSEC legislature in the House, is aimed at amendments to the IDRA Act, 2010.

It suggests revoking the “disqualification provision” regarding the age limit of 67 years for the posts of chairman and members of the insurance sector regulatory body.

A statement highlighting the purpose and reasons for the bills says the laws need to be timely to assign responsibility to “experienced, skilled and knowledgeable” individuals to make important decisions in the capital market and insurance sectors.

The bills were subsequently sent to a special committee for examination after a voice vote. The committee will submit a report to the House by Wednesday.

However, Jamaat-e-Islami MP Najibur Rahman objected to the submission time, arguing: “If you convene a special committee meeting today, when will it meet at such short notice?”

Alleging that no papers were provided on the process, he said it is impossible to give a report in a day.

The Opposition lawmaker proposed extending the submission deadline by a day.