Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions the team is asked most often about how BMSL is regulated, what it is licensed to do, and how accounts and mandates work. Questions about charges are handled directly — please contact the firm.
Who regulates BMSL Investment Limited?
BMSL Investment Limited is a full-fledged merchant bank, licensed and regulated by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), and regulated by the Bangladesh Bank. Issue management, underwriting and public offering work is additionally carried out under the frameworks of the Dhaka Stock Exchange and the Chittagong Stock Exchange.
What does a merchant bank do that a brokerage does not?
A merchant bank is licensed to manage public and rights issues, to underwrite equity and debt, to manage portfolios and registered funds, and to advise on corporate transactions. A brokerage executes trades on an exchange.
Within this group the two are separate companies. BMSL Investment Limited holds the merchant banking licence. United Financial Trading Company Limited is the group’s brokerage house, holding TREC licences on the Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchanges.
How do I open an account with BMSL?
Accounts are opened by completing BMSL’s account opening documentation together with the know-your-customer requirements that apply to the account type. Contact the firm using the details published on this site, saying which type of account you need, and the team will confirm the forms and identification required.
Which portfolio accounts does BMSL offer?
BMSL offers the Investor’s Discretionary Account (IDA), the Portfolio Manager’s Discretionary Account (PDA) and the Foreign Investor’s Account (FIA), alongside margin account services.
What is the difference between a discretionary and a non-discretionary account?
In a discretionary account you authorise BMSL to make investment decisions and place orders within the mandate you have agreed. In a non-discretionary account BMSL provides research and recommendations, and every decision remains yours to make. Both are offered.
Can BMSL manage our provident or gratuity fund?
Yes. BMSL manages provident, gratuity and other registered funds, and institutional mandates for corporates and treasuries. Trustees should contact the firm directly to discuss the mandate and the documentation a registered fund requires.
Is there an online portal for existing clients?
Yes. Existing clients can reach the Order Management System and the BMSL Android application from the Client Portal page on this site.
Does BMSL produce research?
Yes. BMSL produces independent equity, fixed-income, sector and macroeconomic research, both for clients and to support its own advisory and underwriting work.
Which stock exchanges does the group operate on?
Both. United Financial Trading Company Limited holds TREC licences on the Dhaka Stock Exchange and the Chittagong Stock Exchange, and BMSL Investment Limited’s issue management work is carried out under the rules of both exchanges as well as the BSEC.