The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has issued a warning regarding various news reports and social media posts containing statements attributed to BSEC Chairman Masud Khan.
The commission said that if the chairman has not given an interview or statement to a particular media outlet, any statement published by that outlet in his name cannot be considered an official statement of the chairman.
The warning was issued in a press release by the BSEC on Wednesday, August 19. The notice was also published on the commission’s official website on the same day.
Recently, several media outlets published reports quoting the BSEC chairman under the headline, “Not Just Fines, Criminal Cases Will Be Filed for Market Manipulation.” The reports attributed statements to the chairman on various issues, including stock market manipulation and irregularities, fines, criminal cases, brokerage houses, direct listing, the bond market, and technology-based market surveillance.
The BSEC said that statements published or quoted in media outlets where the chairman did not give any interview or statement cannot be regarded as his official remarks. The commission also described it as undesirable and misleading to present statements prepared or produced independently by a media outlet as statements of the chairman.
The commission further noted that various posts and shares related to the news have been circulating on social media, particularly Facebook. According to the BSEC, these posts are presenting the contents of the reports as statements made by the BSEC chairman.
The BSEC said such dissemination could create confusion among the public and investors regarding the positions of the chairman and the commission. It could also increase the risk of misinformation spreading in the capital market.
The commission emphasized that, in a sensitive sector such as the capital market, which directly involves investors’ interests, the highest level of caution and professional responsibility must be maintained when publishing statements attributed to any individual, institution, chairman, or commissioner of a regulatory body. Publishing or sharing statements on social media without verifying their authenticity could create unnecessary confusion.
Against this backdrop, the BSEC has urged all media outlets, journalists, social media users, and capital market stakeholders not to publish or circulate any statement, decision, or position attributed to the BSEC chairman or the commission without proper verification.
The BSEC also said that reliable information regarding the commission’s decisions, directives, policy positions, or important statements should be obtained from the commission’s official website, authorized press releases, and information issued through its official spokesperson.
At the same time, the commission said it is taking seriously any attempt to create, publish, or circulate false, misleading, or baseless information in the name of the chairman or the commission with the intention of confusing the public or disrupting the normal environment of the capital market.
The BSEC has also urged investors to verify the source and authenticity of any information circulating on social media before making investment decisions based on such information.