How to Buy and Sell Shares

Trading hours

• Market open: 10:00 AM (Sunday to Thursday)
• Market close: 2:30 PM
• Pre-opening session: 9:45 AM – 10:00 AM (orders can be placed, no execution)
• The DSE is closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and public holidays

How to place a buy order

Log into your broker's trading platform (web or app). Search for the company by its trading code (e.g., GP for Grameenphone, SQURPHARMA for Square Pharmaceuticals). Select 'Buy', enter the quantity of shares and the price you want to pay, then confirm. Your order goes to the DSE order book and executes when a seller matches your price.

Types of orders

• Market order — buys/sells immediately at the current best available price
• Limit order — you set a maximum buy price or minimum sell price; executes only if the market reaches that price
• Most retail investors use limit orders to control their entry/exit price

How to place a sell order

Go to your portfolio in the trading platform, select the shares you want to sell, choose 'Sell', enter quantity and your desired price. Once a buyer matches your price, the trade executes. You will see the cash in your trading account after settlement (T+2).

Settlement: T+2 explained

DSE follows a T+2 settlement cycle. This means if you buy shares on Sunday, the shares officially appear in your BO account on Tuesday (2 working days later). Similarly, when you sell, you receive the cash in your account 2 working days after the trade. You cannot sell shares you bought today until Tuesday.

Costs when trading

• Brokerage commission: 0.25%–0.50% of trade value (charged by your broker)
• DSE transaction fee: 0.015% of trade value
• CDBL charge: 0.015% of trade value (for share transfer)
• Capital gains tax: 15% on gains above ৳25 lakh per year (for non-residents, different rates apply)
• No tax on dividends received from DSE-listed companies (exempted for individuals)

Circuit breaker rules

A single stock cannot move more than 10% up or 10% down from the previous day's closing price in a single trading session. This prevents extreme volatility. If a stock hits the upper circuit, buyers outnumber sellers and no more buy orders execute that day. If it hits the lower circuit, sellers outnumber buyers.

Tips for new traders

• Always use limit orders — never let the market decide your price
• Do not invest more than you can hold for 1–2 years
• Diversify across at least 4–5 different companies or sectors
• Check the company's fundamentals before buying, not just the price chart
• Avoid buying stocks that have already risen 30–50% in a short time purely on momentum