An alternative trading board (ATB) was launched for the stock market yesterday to facilitate the secondary trading of non-listed companies, corporate bonds, open-ended mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds.

Prof Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), inaugurated the ATB at a ceremony held at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) auditorium.

Stocks of LankaBangla Securities, a non-listed brokerage company, and bonds of Pran Agro were available at the newly launched board on the first day of the trading.

Investors will be able to digitally buy and sell the shares that are listed with the ATB.

For listing with the ATB, there is no lower limit of paid-up capital. So, any non-listed companies who are registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) can be listed on the board.

Shaikh Shamsuddin Ahmed, a commissioner of the BSEC, Md Eunusur Rahman, chairman of the DSE, and M Shaifur Rahman Mazumdar, acting managing director, addressed the event.