Corporate Governance in Bangladesh: Evidence of Compliance

Abstract

This study investigates companies’ level of compliance with the Code of Corporate Governance for Bangladesh. Using a quantitative approach, it aims to understand the extent a regulatory provision can enhance the governance scenario of a company. It employed a survey methodology, with a questionnaire being sent to all 229 companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange. The results of the multivariate analysis suggest that age, size, industry and type of company have a statistically positive correlation with the level of compliance with the Code provisions. The findings of the study indicate that listed companies are, on average, moderately compliant with the Code, and compliance is comparatively higher with the Code provisions that coincide with other regulatory provisions. The major theoretical contribution of this study is with its empirical evidence of the code compliance literature from a developing country perspective. Moreover the findings can be used as a guide to help develop policies for better implementation of good governance standards; the identification of areas of non-compliance are expected to help code formulators, regulators and also companies to understand why and where companies are falling behind in compliance with the Code.