It is said that finance and development (of a country) go hand in hand. And since inclusive development is the goal of our development efforts, then inclusive finance must also accompany these efforts. For inclusive finance, financial education, on the part of both financial service providers and users, is a must. Financial education will help both the parties to take well informed and rational financial decision.

One of the core objectives of establishing Bangladesh Academy for Securities Markets (BASM) by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) is to undertake the responsibility of imparting training (and also research) to both investors and market intermediaries for developing their financial acumenship and consciousness. BASM, being guided by BSEC, believes that if rigorous financial regulation and supervision is supplemented by appropriate financial education, then financial stabilization (of the financial markets, specially securities markets) is sure to happen and sustain. We are determined to “empower investors” and also to make market intermediaries efficient through our efforts.

We are grateful to the present Commission, especially to the honorable Chairman (BSEC), Professor Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, for inaugurating the web-site of BASM, which will integrate us with the stakeholders of national and international financial markets. The web-site of BASM will not only contain information about BASM and its activities, but also all recent “developments” of national and international markets, different policy analysis, relevant speeches of our policy markers etc. to make the site dynamic. We solicit kind cooperation of all stakeholders in our endeavors to be fruitful.