Swisscontact Bangladesh and Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) entered into a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help small and medium-sized enterprises better understand the equity market, assess their investment readiness and compare equity with debt and other financing options. The partnership also covers corporate governance, environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure, support for listed and pre-listed RMG factories and the exploration of market instruments suited to businesses and investments.
As the first step under this partnership, Swisscontact and DSE, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA), organised “Expanding RMG’s Financing Horizons: Opportunities in the Capital Market” on 9 September 2026 at the DSE Training Academy in Dhaka. The workshop was organised with the support from the Embassies of Sweden and Switzerland in Bangladesh.
High-level officials attended the programme, including DSE Managing Director Ms. Nuzhat Anwar; Chief Technology Officer Dr. Md. Asifur Rahman; Swisscontact Bangladesh Deputy Country Director Ms. Syeda Ishrat Fatema; Swisscontact’s PROGRESS Project Team Leader Ms. Farzana Amin; INSPIRE Project Team Leader Ms. Bidowra Tahmin Khan; BKMEA Deputy Secretary Mr. Md. Harunur Rashid; BMBA President and Chief Executive Officer of LankaBangla Investments PLC, Mr. Iftekhar Alam; and DSE Market Development Division General Manager Mr. Saiyid Mahmud Zubayer.
Welcoming the participants, Ms. Nuzhat Anwar, Managing Director of DSE, expressed the organisation’s enthusiasm about the partnership and its interest in bringing more private-sector companies into the equity market.
The programme featured two technical sessions followed by question-and-answer discussions. Mr. Saied Mahmud Zubayer, General Manager of DSE’s Market Development Division, provided an overview of Bangladesh’s capital market and discussed the opportunities available to suitable businesses. Mr. Iftekhar Alam, President of BMBA and Chief Executive Officer of LankaBangla Investments PLC, explained the process of onboarding prospective issuers under the new rules.
The discussions highlighted that capital-market financing can broaden the choices available to Ready-made Garments (RMG) enterprises, particularly when they need long-term capital for technology, energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner production, water and waste management, workforce capability and stronger ESG systems.
However, public listing is not a universal solution. Public equity carries disclosure, governance and ownership implications, while debt securities require adequate cash flow, creditworthiness, and repayment capacity. Depending on a company’s financial position, investment needs and readiness, equity, debt securities, bank financing, leasing or other financing structures may be more appropriate.
Participants also discussed that accessing capital-market finance requires more than a promising business or investment proposal. Investors assess financial health, cash flow, governance, operational performance, risk, and supporting evidence. Reliable financial and ESG information can help businesses demonstrate their investment readiness, explain how an investment will create value, and meet the disclosure requirements associated with different financing instruments.
The workshop provided an initial platform for RMG businesses to engage directly with regulators, market institutions, and financial intermediaries. By bringing these actors together, the Swisscontact–DSE partnership seeks to help credible enterprises make more informed and commercially grounded financing decisions within Bangladesh’s financial system.