United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s stock market continued its downward trend for the second consecutive session on Monday, with key indices falling at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and losses also recorded at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). At the DSE, the benchmark DSEX index shed 7 points, while the Shariah-based DSES fell 2 points and the blue-chip DS30 lost 9 points by the end of trading. Most stocks ended lower as prices declined for 155 companies against gains for 142, while shares of 93 companies remained unchanged. The turnover also dropped notably, with shares and units worth Tk 309 crore traded during the session, down from Tk 385 crore in the previous day. In the block market, shares of 25 companies worth Tk 25 crore were traded, with Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited topping the list, accounting for Tk 6.9 crore. Sonargaon Textiles Ltd emerged as the top gainer on the DSE, rising by more than 6.5 percent, while International Leasing & Financial Services Limited became the worst performer, shedding nearly 10 percent. The CSE also closed in the red, with its broad-based CASPI index declining by 35 points. On the port city bourse, prices fell for 73 companies, rose for 45, and remained unchanged for 29. The turnover at the CSE dropped sharply to Tk 11 crore from Tk 19 crore in the previous session. Khulna Power Company Limited topped the CSE gainers’ chart with a rise of nearly 10 percent, while Associated Oxygen Limited lost almost 10 percent to end as the day’s worst performer.  

Trading of Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) for Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of Bangladesh’s largest drug manufacturers, is set to be suspended on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) starting from January 2, 2026. The suspension comes after the company failed to publish its audited financial reports for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024–25 within the mandatory time frame. According to a disclosure on the LSE website, Beximco Pharma was unable to release its final annual results by the December 31, 2025 deadline required under the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Consequently, the exchange is moving to temporarily halt the trading of the company’s GDRs. The company cited ongoing legal complexities as the primary reason for the delay. The dispute involves a decision by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) to appoint nine additional independent directors to Beximco Pharma's board following the fall of regime in August 2024. Beximco Pharma challenged this appointment in the High Court, and the matter remains sub-judice. The company stated that the Board of Directors cannot approve the financial reports until the legal status of the board is finalized. Due to the current High Court recess and bench reconstitutions, the case must be heard afresh. A verdict is not expected until at least January 2026, causing a stalemate in the approval process. REVIVAL Group to reopen BEXIMCO Textile, restoring 25,000 jobs While trading will be paused in London, Beximco Pharma clarified that its shares will continue to trade normally on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) in Bangladesh. The company also assured investors that it would continue to provide all necessary disclosures in accordance with AIM rules throughout the suspension period.

Trading at the country’s capital markets ended mixed on the first trading day of the week, with indices falling on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) while advancing at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). At the DSE, the market witnessed early gains, but the momentum faded after noon as selling pressure intensified. At the close, the benchmark DSEX shed 15 points, while the Shariah-based DSES fell by 5 points and the blue-chip DS30 index dropped 15 points. Out of the traded companies, prices declined for 199 issues against 131 gainers, while 63 issues remained unchanged on the DSE floor. The turnover showed a modest improvement, with shares and units worth Tk 385 crore changing hands, compared to Tk 338 crore in the previous session. In the block market, shares of 19 companies worth Tk 35 crore were traded, with City Bank PLC topping the list by accounting for Tk 8.60 crore. National Life Insurance PLC emerged as the top gainer at the DSE, rising nearly 10 percent, while Jamuna Oil Company Limited lost almost 10 percent to become the worst performer. Meanwhile, the CSE closed higher with its overall index CASPI gaining 9 points. Most stocks advanced on the CSE, as prices of 77 companies increased against declines in 59 issues, while 16 issues remained unchanged. Trading activity surged sharply on the port city bourse, with turnover jumping nearly fourfold to Tk 19 crore, up from Tk 5 crore in the previous session. ML Dyeing Limited topped the CSE gainers’ list with a 10 percent rise, while Bangladesh Finance PLC ended at the bottom, shedding 10 percent.

Despite a modest recovery in indices, Bangladesh’s capital market continued to struggle with declining investor confidence as the average turnover fell by more than 7 percent, according to the Dhaka Stock Exchange’s (DSE) weekly market review. The DSE said average daily turnover dropped to Tk 358 crore at the end of the week from Tk 387 crore at the beginning, marking a 7.41 percent decline and reflecting persistent investor apathy. After weeks of volatility, the market managed to post a marginal overall gain. The benchmark DSEX index rose by 52 points, while the Shariah-based DSES advanced 7 points and the blue-chip DS30 index gained 22 points. However, year-on-year comparisons painted a weaker picture. Compared to the same period in 2024, the DSEX is still down 6 percent, the DS30 2 percent and the DSES 13 percent, indicating that the broader market has yet to recover from last year’s losses. Prolonged losses have continued to push investors away from the market. Data from the Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL) showed that the number of active Beneficiary Owners (BO) accounts fell to 1,639,843 as of December 24 from 1,684,668 on July 1, the first day of the current fiscal year. This means nearly 45,000 BO accounts have exited the market during the first half of FY2025–26. Investors blamed sustained price erosion and mounting losses for their loss of interest. “Investors thought 2024 was the worst year for them. But by the end of 2025, it is clear that the market situation is even worse than last year,” said retail investor Tareq Hossain. Another investor, Malek, criticised the pace of reforms, saying investors’ concerns were largely ignored. “There has not been a single new IPO in a year. Large companies were fined as part of market reforms, but the commission never clarified whether those penalties were realised or whether the money was used for capital market development,” he said. Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) Chairman Prof Abu Ahmed said the overall weakness in the economy had spilled over into the capital market, making comprehensive reforms unavoidable. “When I took charge, ICB was in a very fragile state. With government support, we are gradually trying to stabilise and revitalise the institution. This cannot be done overnight,” he said, adding that appropriate steps after the election could help the market rebound. During the week, prices rose for most companies on the DSE, with 241 issues advancing against 101 decliners, while 44 remained unchanged. Yet sector-wise performance was mixed, as share prices increased in only five of the 21 sectors. Banking stocks rebounded strongly after earlier losses, with the sector posting a 23 percent price gain and a 13 percent rise in turnover. Of the 36 listed banks, prices rose for 21, fell for eight and remained unchanged for seven. At the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), the overall CASPI index gained 18 points, although declining issues outnumbered gainers. Prices fell for 128 companies, rose for 103 and remained unchanged for 24. Bonds and mutual funds delivered the highest returns in both markets during the week. On the DSE, the SIBL Mudaraba Perpetual Bond topped the return chart, while on the CSE the 1st Scheme of Reliance Mutual Fund emerged as the best performer.

Bangladesh’s stock market opened on a positive note on Tuesday, the third trading day of the week, but the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) failed to hold the gains by the end of the session, while the upward trend continued at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). At the DSE, the benchmark index DSEX fell by 13 points at the close. Among the other indices, the Shariah-based DSES dropped 4 points, while the blue-chip DS30 inched up by 1 point. Most stocks ended in the red, with prices of 242 companies declining against gains by 84 companies, while share prices of 63 issues remained unchanged. The turnover at the DSE increased, with shares and units worth Tk 407 crore traded during the day, up from Tk 395 crore in the previous session. Apex Foods Limited topped the DSE gainers’ list, soaring nearly 8 percent, while Premier Leasing and Finance Limited ended as the worst performer, shedding around 9 percent. Meanwhile, the bullish momentum continued at the CSE, where the overall index CASPI rose by 12 points. DSE, CSE begin sessions on positive note At the CSE, prices of 76 companies declined, while 68 advanced and 28 remained unchanged. The turnover also edged up at the port city bourse, with shares and units worth Tk 16 crore traded during the session, compared to Tk 15 crore a day earlier. Prime Bank 1st ICB AMCL Mutual Fund topped the gainers’ chart at the CSE with a 10 percent rise, while Hami Industries PLC ended at the bottom, plunging 10 percent.  

The country’s stock markets closed lower on the first working day of the week on Sunday, with key indices declining on both bourses, trading fell on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) but increased on the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). On the DSE, the benchmark DSEX index shed 4 points, while the Shariah-based DSES fell 1 point and the blue-chip DS30 index dropped 6 points. Despite the index decline, most listed companies ended higher, with prices rising for 161 firms against declines for 157, while shares of 70 companies remained unchanged. In the block market, shares worth nearly Tk 19 crore were traded across 20 companies, with BRAC Bank PLC topping the list at Tk 7.6 crore. The turnover on the DSE stood at Tk 293 crore, down from Tk 303 crore in the previous session. Rahim Textile Mills PLC topped the DSE gainers’ chart with a 10 percent rise, while Familytex (BD) Limited lost more than 8 percent to become the day’s worst performer. Meanwhile, the CSE’s broad-based CASPI index dropped 63 points. Prices declined for most companies, with 94 issues losing value against gains for 45, while 14 issues remained unchanged. The trading volume on the CSE jumped to Tk 12 crore, compared to Tk 4.5 crore in the previous trading session. Reliance One Mutual Fund topped the CSE gainers with a rise of over 9.5 percent, while Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) ended at the bottom of the losers’ list.

Bangladesh’s capital market extended its losing streak over the past week, with market capitalisation on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) shrinking by more than Tk 10,500 crore amid a broad-based decline in share prices. The market opened the week on Sunday with a capitalisation of Tk 6,86,368 crore, which fell to Tk 6,75,866 crore by Thursday, marking a weekly erosion of Tk 10,501 crore. The sharp fall was driven by price declines in the majority of listed companies. Over the week, prices rose for only 32 companies, while 335 saw declines. Prices of 22 companies remained unchanged and 24 companies did not participate in trading. All indices on the DSE dropped by more than 2 percent during the week. The benchmark DSEX index, which started at 4,963 points, closed at 4,831 points. Due to the Victory Day holiday on December 16, trading took place for four sessions, during which the DSEX lost 132 points, or 2.67 percent. Year-on-year, the DSEX has fallen 7.38 percent. At the same time last year, the benchmark index stood at 5,216 points. Among other indices, the blue-chip DS30 lost 43 points; 2.28 percent in a week, while the Shariah-based DSES fell 33 points; 3.25 percent. The SME index, DSMEX, shed 24 points-- 2.77 percent. The average daily turnover also weakened alongside the decline in market capitalisation and indices. Weekly average turnover dropped by more than 7 percent, falling from Tk 417 crore at the beginning of the week to Tk 387 crore by the final session. Out of the DSE’s 21 sectors, only seven recorded price gains, while the rest witnessed declines. The banking sector posted a 6 percent fall, while prices of non-bank financial institutions plunged by nearly 32 percent. Among the two insurance sectors, general insurance gained more than 19 percent, but life insurance suffered a steep 38 percent decline. In addition to general insurance, prices also gained in the ceramic, corporate bond, food, mutual fund, real estate and textile sectors. Sector-wise turnover also deteriorated, with trading volume declining in almost all sectors except life insurance, corporate bonds, mutual funds and textiles. The non-bank financial institution sector saw its turnover fall by an average of about 52%. Top Gainers Of the top 10 gainers on the DSE, five were ‘A’ category companies that regularly pay dividends of 10 percent or more, two were ‘B’ category firms, and three were ‘Z’ category companies that do not pay dividends. Most of the top gainers belonged to the mutual fund sector. B-category Bangas Ltd topped the gainers’ list, posting a return of nearly 15 percent over four sessions. Its share price rose from Tk 113.50 to Tk 130.50. Reliance One: The First Scheme of Reliance Insurance Mutual Fund ranked second, gaining 14.71 percent, with unit prices rising from Tk 13.60 to Tk 15.60. CAPM IBBL Islamic Mutual Fund secured the third position, with a return of more than 13 percent, as its unit price climbed from Tk 6.80 to Tk 7.70. Z-category Bangladesh Welding Electrodes Ltd stood fourth, gaining over 8 percent, with its share price rising from Tk 12.20 to Tk 13.20. Union Insurance Company Limited ranked fifth, posting an 8 percent return as its share price increased from Tk 32.50 to Tk 35.10. Top Losers Most of the top losers were Z-category companies, except one A-category and one B-category firm. The top two decliners were both from the sugar industry. Shyampur Sugar Mills Ltd suffered the steepest fall, with its return plunging by nearly 21 percent. Its share prices fell by over Tk 40 within a week. Another Z-category sugar mill, Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills Ltd, ranked second, losing over 17 percent as its share price fell by nearly Tk 30 over four sessions. AFC Agro Biotech Ltd placed third with a decline of around 17 percent, followed by Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag Industries Limited, which fell 16.64 percent. FAS Finance & Investment Limited ranked fifth, shedding more than 16 percent. CSE’s Sharp Fall Like the DSE, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also witnessed a significant downturn, with all indices falling by more than 1.5 percent over four trading sessions. The overall CASPI index dropped 247 points, or 1.78 percent, while the blue-chip CSE30 lost 217 points, or 1.76 percent. The CSCX index, comprising dividend-paying A and B category companies, fell 148 points, or 1.72 percent. Another blue-chip index, CSE50, declined 19 points, or 1.77 percent, while the Shariah-based CSI lost 17 points, or 2.02 percent. Out of 250 traded companies on the CSE, prices fell for 159, rose for 71 and remained unchanged for 20. Bangas Ltd also topped the gainers’ list on the CSE, followed by GQ Ball Pen Industries Limited. On the losing side, Apex Spinning & Knitting Mills recorded the sharpest fall, shedding more than 19 percent. Its share price dropped from Tk 220 at the start of the week to Tk 177 by the end. Emerald Oil Industries Limited ranked second among the losers, with its share price falling by more than 17 percent, or Tk 3 per share, over the week.      

Bangladesh’s stock markets extended their downward trend on Thursday, the last trading day of the week, with key indices of both the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) closing lower amid thin trading. At the DSE, the benchmark DSEX index shed 22 points at the end of the session. Among the other indices, the Shariah-based DSES gained 8 points, while the blue-chip DS30 rose by 9 points. Market breadth remained negative as prices of 254 companies declined against advances in 69, while shares of 68 companies remained unchanged. Block trades saw shares of 25 companies worth Tk 24 crore change hands, with Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) accounting for the highest turnover of Tk 6 crore. Total turnover on the DSE stood at Tk 303 crore, the lowest of the week, down from Tk 375 crore in the previous session. BD Thai Food & Beverage Limited topped the gainers’ list on the DSE, rising by over 5 percent, while Ratanpur Steel Re-Rolling Mills Limited emerged as the top loser, shedding more than 6 percent. The bearish trend was also evident at the CSE, where the overall CASPI index dropped 69 points. Out of the traded issues, prices of 76 companies declined, while 36 advanced and 23 remained unchanged. The turnover at the CSE stood at Tk 4.50 crore during the session, down from Tk 5.80 crore in the previous trading day. Doreen Power Generations and Systems Limited topped the CSE gainers with a rise of over 9 percent, while Sena Insurance PLC hit the bottom, losing 10 percent.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on Thursday appointed Nuzhat Anwar as the Managing Director of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). DSE Board Chairman Mominul Islam welcomed the decision, saying, “We are pleased to receive BSEC’s approval for Nuzhat’s appointment. After a rigorous selection process over the past year, we are confident that she is the right leader to drive the transformation of DSE.” Nuzhat brings over 20 years of experience in financial markets, banking and development finance, said a press release. She most recently served at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, holding senior leadership roles across Africa and South Asia. DSE launches Help Desk to improve investor information services Her roles included Resident Representative for Liberia and Sierra Leone, Senior Country Officer for Bangladesh covering Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, and Acting Cluster Manager during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, she helped establish IFC’s presence in Botswana and Namibia, facilitating the institution’s first investment in Botswana and promoting sustainable investment programmes. She also spent 16 years with Citibank Bangladesh and Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh in senior management positions.  

Bangladesh’s capital market failed to recover from the ongoing downturn as indices at both the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) declined for another day. At the close of trading, the DSE’s benchmark index DSEX shed 36 points. The Shariah-based DSES and the blue-chip DS30 index also fell by 7 points each. Most of the traded companies ended in the red, with prices falling for 299 companies, while 48 advanced and 43 remained unchanged. In the block market, shares worth Tk 22 crore of 24 companies were traded, with Fine Foods topping the list by trading shares worth Tk 9 crore. The turnover at the DSE declined to Tk 375 crore, down from Tk 413 crore in the previous session. Dominage Steel Building Systems Limited topped the gainers’ chart, rising more than 5 percent, while AFC Agro Biotech Ltd suffered the highest loss, shedding over 9 percent. The CSE mirrored the DSE’s performance as its overall index CASPI dropped 76 points. DSEX falls, CSE gains in Bangladesh capital market Of the traded issues, prices fell for 103 companies, rose for 41, and remained unchanged for 16. The turnover at the port city bourse edged up slightly to Tk 5.8 crore, compared to Tk 5.1 crore a day earlier. EXIM Bank 1st Mutual Fund topped the gainers at the CSE with a 10 percent rise, while Pacific Denims Limited ended at the bottom, losing 10 percent.