Dhaka, Oct. 19 -- The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has opened the door for eligible companies to list directly on the country's stock market without an initial public offering (IPO).

The market regulator issued a notification on Sunday outlining the rules for direct listings.

Under the rules, existing shareholders can offload their shares on a stock exchange without the company issuing new securities to the public through an IPO.

The opportunity, previously limited to state-owned companies, has now been extended to several other categories of businesses.

Eligible companies include those in which the government holds at least a 10 percent stake, as well as firms wholly or majority-owned by foreign shareholders....