Dhaka stocks fell in early trading today amid market jitters due to regulatory actions against manipulation and concerns over the potential escalation of conflict after Iran fired around 200 missiles at Israel yesterday.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index dropped 95.49 points, or 1.70 percent, to 5,490.78 within the first two and a half hours of trading, which started at 10 am.

Turnover, a key indicator of liquidity in the market, was Tk 218.44 crore as of 12:28 pm.

Around 40 stocks advanced, while 323 declined, and 32 remained unchanged.

Speaking on anonymity, an investor said the recent move by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate market anomalies and impose fines on manipulators had raised concerns.

The risk of escalating conflict in the Middle East is also weighing on investor sentiment.