DHAKA, March 24, 2026 (BSS) – Stocks today slipped into the red as trading activity resumed after the long Eid holidays, with festive optimism being overshadowed by prevailing concerns over potential energy shortages and inflationary risks surrounding the Middle East crisis, which weighed on sentiment and led investors to remain firm in their cautious stance. 

DSEX, the broad index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), declined by 69.0 points and settled at 5,285 points as against 5,354 points in the previous trading session. 

The market opened in negative territory as broad-based selling pressure weighed on the indices. 
Although it attempted to regain some ground and recover earlier losses in the mid-session, the momentum proved insufficient to lift the indices into positive territory by the session’s close.

However, market turnover increased by 7.0% to BDT 4.9 billion from BDT 4.6 billion in the previous session.

On the sectoral front, Bank (15.5%) accounted for the highest share of turnover, followed by Pharma (12.8%) and Engineering (11.5%). 

Almost all the sectors displayed negative returns, Bank (-2.5%), Financial Institution (-1.8%), Food (-1.2%) exhibited the most corrections returns while Mutual Fund (6.5%), Ceramic (1.6%), Tannery (0.6%) exhibited some positive returns on the bourse today. 

Of the 397 issues traded, 120 advanced, 240 declined, and 36 remained unchanged.

The port city bourse, CSE, also settled on a negative territory. The Selective Categories' Index (CSCX) and All Share Price Index (CASPI) advanced by 47.5 points and 75.8 points, respectively.