Investment instruments that Bangladeshi savers consider safe

Around 53 percent of the respondents of a survey in Bangladesh said they prefer making investment in deposit pension scheme (DPS) to set aside funds for rainy days.

Investment in properties with 39.8 percent of the votes has been marked as the second most-preferred option after DPS.

Bonds became the third most-favoured option with 31.96 percent of the votes and fixed deposit fourth with 31.81 percent.

The 1,280 participants who featured in the study from major cities across the country voted investment in insurance products as the fifth best option for future.

Here, stock market and startups stood sixth and seventh with 7.76 percent and 2.95 percent of the votes.

The School of Business and Economics of the North South University (NSU) conducted the survey with the support of MetLife Bangladesh.

Nurul Kabir, chairperson of the department of accounting and finance at North South University, led the study carried out by a three-member team comprising Quazi Tafsirul Islam, senior lecturer of strategy and human resources of the NSU, and Nazlee Siddiqui, senior lecturer at the University of Tasmania.

The deposit pension scheme as an investment avenue is justified by its potentially higher rate of return and maturity flexibility, Islam said.

The DPS often offers more competitive interest rates compared to traditional savings plans, which can significantly enhance the growth of one's savings over time, he said.

Moreover, DPS allows investors to choose a tenure that best aligns with their financial goals and timelines, whether it is for short, medium, or long-term savings, he said.

Kabir, the leader of the study team, said choosing DPS as an investment tool can be attributed to several compelling reasons.

Primarily, DPS offers greater liquidity, allowing investors to access their funds with relative ease compared to the typically longer lock-in periods associated with other investments, he said.

The option for easy foreclosure further enhances its appeal, offering flexibility to discontinue the scheme without significant penalties, Kabir added.