The stockmarket regulator has advised investors to keep confidence in the market, saying it was now stable.

The advice came at a meeting of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) at the InterContinental hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday, organised to thank Finance Minister AMA Muhith for his contribution to the stockmarket.

Though a bad image was created following market crash twice during the Awami League government's tenure in 1996 and 2011, the BSEC has become an ideal regulatory body through its commitment to rules and regulations, said Muhith.

This commission took many steps and brought changes to many rules and regulations, by which the market has become stable, he said.

Prof Khairul Hossain, chairman of the BSEC, said the commission completed demutualisation and brought many changes to rules and regulations under the leadership of the finance minister. “So, he deserves thanks,” he said.

The chairman said the stockmarket's legal structure was now “very strong” and they would very soon initiate a small cap board and settlement clearance system.

“The year 2019 will be a very significant year for the stockmarket,” he said.

Md Ashadul Islam, secretary to the Bank and Financial Institutions Division, and the BSEC's commissioners Prof Md Helal Uddin Nizami, Swapan Kumar Bala and Khondoker Kamaluzzaman were present.