BSEC suspends 21 officials over 5 March unrest

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has suspended 21 officials in connection with the unrest at its headquarters on 5 March.

The stock market regulator made the decision in an emergency meeting on Tuesday and disclosed it through an office order on Wednesday.

According to BSEC sources, the officials concerned learned about their suspension upon arriving at the office in the morning on Wednesday, when they were handed formal suspension letters.

Among the suspended officials are executive director Rezaul Karim, director Abu Raihan Md Mohtasin Billa, additional director Nazrul Islam, joint director Rashedul Islam, deputy directors Boni Yamin, Al Islam, Shahidul Islam, and Touhidul Islam, as well as assistant directors Jony Hossain, Raihan Kabir, Sajjad Hossain, and Abdul Baten, librarian Selim Reza Bappi and personal officer Abu Yusuf.

Some others are directors Abul Hasan and Fakhrul Islam Majumder, additional director Miraj Us Sunnah, deputy director Nannu Bhuiyan, and government directors Aminur Rahman Khan, Tariqul Islam, and Sameer Ghosh.

On 5 March, a group of BSEC officers and employees besieged the BSEC chairman and three commissioners for nearly four hours, protesting the forced retirement of executive director Saifur Rahman. Later, the army men freed the officials.

On the following day, they held a strike programme on 6 March, demanding resignation of the commission chairman and all commissioners.

Ashiqur Rahman, gunman of the BSEC chairman, filed a case against 16 officials on 6 March. Fourteen of the suspended officials are accused in the case.