DSE turnover drops to 1.5-year low

Stock trading resumed in Bangladesh today after a break of three days when the stock indices moved downwards and the turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) hit a 1.5-year low.

Trading at the country's stock exchanges remained closed for the last three days of the week due to the internet blackout.

Today, the DSEX, the benchmark index of the DSE, plunged 95 points or 1.75 percent to 5,350.

At the same time, DSES, the shariah-based companies' stock index, fell 21 points, or 1.83 percent to 1,169.

The DS-30, stock index for blue-chip stocks, plummeted 37 points, or 1.91 percent, to 1,908.

Stock market analysts are saying that the recent turmoil centring the quota reform movement pushed many general investors to go for selling of shares.

The stock market index fell as the institutional investors also did not buy shares.

Today, the stock market opened at 11am and closed at 1.50pm.

Some Tk 159 crore worth of shares changed hands, which is the lowest turnover since January 3 of 2023.

Of the traded issues, 13 advanced, 352 declined and 14 remained unchanged.

The trend was the same at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE).

The CASPI, the general index of the CSE, dropped 145 points, or 0.93 percent.

Investors' participation was thin as most of them could not monitor stock trading through their mobile phones because of absence of mobile internet, a stock market broker said.

Stock trading may improve with the restoration of internet countrywide, he hoped.