Chittagong Stock Exchange Ltd.
A Bangladeshi stock exchange headquartered in the port city of Chittagong.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
The Chittagong Stock Exchange, commonly known as CSE, is a Bangladeshi securities exchange headquartered in Chittagong, the country’s principal port city. It is one of Bangladesh’s two principal stock-market institutions, operating alongside the Dhaka Stock Exchange and serving as part of the country’s capital-market infrastructure. The exchange provides an organized venue for the trading and dissemination of information relating to listed securities under Bangladesh’s securities-market regulatory framework. The institution emerged during the expansion of Bangladesh’s formal capital market in the mid-1990s. Preparatory work began in January 1995, when prospective members sought government approval for a new exchange in Chittagong. The Securities and Exchange Commission, now known as the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, authorized its establishment on 12 February 1995. CSE was incorporated as a company on 1 April 1995 and began trading that day through a traditional open-outcry, or cry-out, system. Its formal inauguration took place on 4 November 1995 in a ceremony attended by then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. At formation, the exchange was governed by a twelve-member board chaired by Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and supported by an independent secretariat. Its creation gave Bangladesh a second major securities-trading center and strengthened Chittagong’s role as a commercial and financial hub. Over time, CSE moved away from exclusively floor-based operations and adopted electronic infrastructure intended to improve order handling, market access, operational efficiency, and the speed of market information. A major modernization milestone came on 30 May 2004, when CSE introduced an internet-based trading system. This change broadened the technological basis of participation and aligned the exchange more closely with contemporary electronic-market practices. The exchange later refreshed its public identity, unveiling a new brand logo on 8 July 2015 as part of a wider modernization effort. CSE’s activities are centered on securities-market operations rather than consumer products. Its principal functions include facilitating trading in listed securities, publishing market information and indices, supporting member-broker operations, and maintaining systems for order execution and market transparency. As a market institution, its importance is tied to the liquidity, governance, and investor-access needs of Bangladesh’s listed-company ecosystem rather than to a conventional product portfolio. The exchange also became associated with the broader weaknesses exposed by Bangladesh’s 2010–2011 share-market collapse. During the downturn, CSE lost approximately 1,800 index points across December 2010 and January 2011, while many investors suffered severe losses. Public criticism focused on alleged market manipulation and shortcomings in regulatory oversight. These events formed part of a national securities-market controversy affecting both major Bangladeshi exchanges; they should not be treated as evidence that CSE alone caused the collapse. CSE remains a Bangladesh-focused exchange and a counterpart to the Dhaka Stock Exchange in the country’s two-center securities market. Its historical development reflects Bangladesh’s transition from manual securities trading toward internet-enabled market infrastructure, while its public role continues to depend on regulation, investor confidence, listed-company participation, and the integrity of trading and disclosure systems.
History
The Chittagong Stock Exchange was created during a period when Bangladesh was developing a broader and more institutionally organized securities market. Prospective founding members began seeking government approval in January 1995. Authorization was granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on 12 February 1995, establishing the legal basis for a second stock exchange in Bangladesh after the Dhaka market. CSE was incorporated as a company on 1 April 1995, the same date on which it commenced trading through an open-outcry system. Its formal inauguration followed on 4 November 1995, when Prime Minister Khaleda Zia officially opened the exchange. The initial governance structure consisted of a twelve-member board chaired by Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and an independent secretariat. This arrangement positioned CSE as a separate institutional center for securities trading in Chittagong, a major commercial and port city. In its early years, the exchange operated through conventional floor-based trading. Like other exchanges undergoing technological change, it subsequently invested in systems intended to improve transaction processing and expand access to market information. On 30 May 2004, CSE introduced an internet-based trading system. The move represented a significant transition from manual or primarily floor-centered activity toward electronic connectivity and more technology-dependent market operations. The exchange continued its modernization program in the 2010s. On 8 July 2015, it launched a new brand logo, signaling an effort to update its public identity while presenting the institution as a modern capital-market organization. Its role remained complementary to that of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, with both exchanges forming the principal organized securities-market venues in Bangladesh. CSE’s history is also connected to the severe Bangladeshi share-market downturn that developed in 2010 and intensified in 2011. The exchange lost roughly 1,800 points during December 2010 and January 2011. Large numbers of investors suffered losses, and the episode generated allegations that the market had been artificially driven for the benefit of a limited group of participants. Criticism also focused on the effectiveness of regulatory supervision. The controversy concerned the broader national market and both major exchanges, rather than constituting a finding that CSE independently engineered the crash. Through these stages, CSE developed from a manually operated regional exchange into an internet-enabled securities-market institution. Its continuing identity is based on facilitating trading in listed securities, supporting market participants, distributing market information, and contributing to the infrastructure of Bangladesh’s capital market.
- 2015
Brand identity refreshed
[1]CSE unveiled a new logo on 8 July as part of its modernization efforts.
- 2004
Internet trading introduced
[1]CSE launched an internet-based trading system on 30 May, advancing its electronic-market capabilities.
- 1995
Founding approval granted
[1]The Securities and Exchange Commission authorized the establishment of CSE on 12 February, making it Bangladesh’s second stock exchange.
- 1995
Company incorporation and start of trading
[1]CSE was incorporated on 1 April and began trading that day using an open-outcry system.
- 1995
Formal inauguration
[1]The exchange was formally inaugurated on 4 November by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Products and positioning
A regional Bangladeshi securities exchange and one of the country’s two principal capital-market venues, with a distinctive institutional base in Chittagong and a long-running emphasis on market modernization.
Capital-market service · 1995
Listed securities trading
CSE provides an organized venue for trading securities admitted to its market. Its function is institutional rather than consumer-facing: the exchange supplies the rules, trading environment, member connectivity, and market processes through which eligible participants can submit and execute orders.
Trading technology · 2004
Internet-based trading system
Introduced in 2004, CSE’s internet-based trading capability marked a transition from its original open-outcry model toward electronic access and digitally supported order handling. The system formed part of the exchange’s longer-term effort to improve efficiency and modernize participation in the Bangladeshi securities market.
Market data
Market indices and information
The exchange disseminates market information and index-related data associated with trading activity and listed securities. These information services help investors, brokers, companies, and observers monitor price movements and market conditions.
Controversies
2011
2011 Bangladesh share-market scandal
During the 2010–2011 market collapse, CSE lost about 1,800 points over December 2010 and January 2011, and many investors suffered severe losses. The episode prompted allegations of artificial market manipulation and criticism of regulatory oversight. The controversy affected Bangladesh’s wider share market and should not be attributed solely to CSE.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015New brand logo launch
Bangladesh
CSE introduced a new visual identity as part of its effort to present a more modern image for the exchange.
Outcome. The logo refresh marked a visible stage in the exchange’s broader modernization program.
Brand decisions
2015
Modernization and identity refreshStrategyBackground
After expanding its technological infrastructure, CSE continued efforts to modernize its institutional presentation.
Action taken
CSE unveiled a new brand logo on 8 July 2015.
Aftermath
The logo became a public marker of the exchange’s modernization initiative.
2004
Adoption of internet-based tradingStrategyBackground
CSE had originally operated using an open-outcry system and faced the broader industry need to improve speed, connectivity, and trading efficiency.
Action taken
The exchange introduced an internet-based trading system on 30 May 2004.
Aftermath
The decision advanced CSE’s transition toward electronically supported securities-market operations.
Recent events
- 2015
Chittagong Stock Exchange introduces a new brand logo[1]
Campaign · Other
The exchange unveiled a new logo as part of an institutional modernization and identity-refresh effort.
- 2004
Chittagong Stock Exchange begins internet-based trading[1]
Product launch
CSE introduced an internet-based trading system, marking a major step in the exchange’s shift toward electronic market operations.
- 1995
Chittagong Stock Exchange receives authorization to be established[1]
Other
Bangladesh’s Securities and Exchange Commission authorized the establishment of CSE, making it the country’s second stock exchange.
Sources2 sources
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