Order

WHEREAS on February 18, 2020, the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (the “MFDA”) issued a Notice of Settlement Hearing pursuant to section 24.4 of MFDA By-law No. 1 in respect of MD Shakirul Alam (the “Respondent”);

AND WHEREAS the Respondent entered into a settlement agreement with Staff of the MFDA, dated February 16, 2020 (the “Settlement Agreement”), in which the Respondent agreed to a proposed settlement of matters for which the Respondent could be disciplined pursuant to ss. 20 and 24.1 of  MFDA By-law No. 1;

AND WHEREAS on the basis of the facts admitted in Part IV of the Settlement Agreement and the contraventions admitted in Part V of the Settlement Agreement, the Hearing Panel is of the opinion that on February 14, 2018, the Respondent engaged in personal financial dealings with a client by:

1. soliciting and borrowing $15,000 from the client; and
2. engaging in a transaction with the client whereby the client paid $17,000 to the Respondent and at approximately the same time a third party paid the equivalent of $17,000 CAD to the client’s brother outside of Canada;

and that this conduct gave rise to a conflict or potential conflict of interest that the Respondent failed to disclose to the Member or address by the exercise of responsible business judgment influenced only by the best interests of the client, contrary to the policies and procedures of the Member and MFDA Rules 2.1.4, 2.1.1, 2.10, 2.5.1 and 1.1.2.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the Settlement Agreement is accepted, as a consequence of which:

1. The Respondent shall be prohibited from conducting securities related business in any capacity while in the employ of or associated with any MFDA Member for a period of 6 months, pursuant to section 24.1.1(e) of MFDA By-law No. 1;
2. The Respondent shall pay a fine in the amount of $7,500, pursuant to s. 24.1.1(b) of MFDA By-law No. 1;
3. The Respondent shall pay costs in the amount of $3,750, pursuant to s. 24.2 of MFDA By-law No. 1; and
4. If at any time a non-party to this proceeding, with the exception of the bodies set out in section 23 of MFDA By-law No. 1, requests production of or access to exhibits in this proceeding that contain personal information as defined by the MFDA Privacy Policy, then the MFDA Corporate Secretary shall not provide copies of or access to the requested exhibits to the non-party without first redacting from them any and all personal information, pursuant to Rules 1.8(2) and (5) of the MFDA Rules of Procedure.