Dhaka stocks advanced on Thursday, after a huge fall in the previous session, as investors went for bargain hunting, market operators said.
DSEX, the key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, increased by 62.81 points, or 1.17 per cent, to close at 5,413.64 points on the day.
The key index had lost 95.66 points on Wednesday after share trading on the Dhaka Stock Exchange resumed on the day following a three-day general holiday.
The DSE operated from 11.00am to 2.00pm on Wednesday and Thursday, due to the ongoing curfew, instead of regular trading hours, from 10.00am to 2.30pm.
On Saturday, the government announced general holiday for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, keeping offices, including banks and the stock market, shut amid the curfew it imposed across the country from midnight past Friday, due to unrests centring quota reform protests.
The country had also faced an internet blackout since July 18 that halted digital and mobile financial services.
Broadband internet connection was partially restored in the Dhaka city at about 9:00pm on Tuesday, and expanded later on Wednesday.
The key index on Thursday started the session with a dive, but rebounded soon, and maintained the upward trend till the end of the session to finish in the positive zone.
The total turnover of the Dhaka bourse increased to Tk 497.34 crore compared with that of Tk聽159.37 crore in the previous session.
Of the 392 issues traded on Thursday, 286 advanced, 66 declined and 40 remained unchanged.
The DSE Shariah index increased by 13.81 points, or 1.18 per cent, to close at 1,183.37 points on the day.
The DS30 index gained 24.25 points, or 1.27 per cent, to finish at 1,932.76 points.
On the sectoral front, pharmaceutical issues exerted the highest turnover, followed by the food and engineering shares.
EBL Securities in its daily commentary said, 鈥楾he overall market sentiment still remains subdued as cautious investors still shy away from taking positions in equities amidst uncertainties regarding the market鈥檚 outlook.鈥�
Square Pharmaceuticals topped the turnover chart on the day with its shares worth Tk 35.09 crore changing hands.
Orion Infusion, Taufika Foods and Lovello Ice-cream, Agni Systems, Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, NRB Bank, Rangpur Foundry, BRAC Bank, Unilever Consumer Care and Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries were the other turnover leaders.
