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Bangladesh’s capital market posted a surprisingly strong performance yesterday, defying heightened political tension triggered by the long-awaited verdict in the case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two of her former aides. The charges—centred on alleged crimes against humanity—have dominated national discourse, raising concerns that investor sentiment could be severely shaken. Instead, the market staged an upbeat rally, reflecting resilience among traders who chose to focus on sector fundamentals rather than political uncertainty.

At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index climbed 42 points, or 0.90%, closing at 4,774, while all other major indices advanced in parallel. The DSES, which tracks Shariah-compliant equities, recorded a notable 1.55% rise to hit 1,000 points, and the blue-chip DS30 index increased by 0.50% to 1,869.90.

Market participation remained strong, with a substantial majority of stocks closing higher. Out of all traded issues, 322 advanced, 35 declined, and 16 remained unchanged. Total turnover jumped 18% year-on-year, reaching Tk 348 crore, signalling robust investor engagement even as the political environment grows tense.

Sector Performance and Top Movers

The pharmaceuticals sector dominated trading activity, contributing 14.2% of total turnover. Square Pharmaceuticals topped the list of most-traded shares, followed by Anwar Galvanizing Ltd and Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag Industries Ltd. Despite heavy trading, Square Pharma’s share price dipped 4.66%, closing at Tk 203, suggesting selective profit-taking by investors.

Among the day’s strongest performers, GPH Ispat led the gainers with a 9.8% surge, followed by Intech Online, ISN Limited, Sharp Industries, and Lovello Ice Cream.

Mutual funds were the best-performing category, jumping 3.7%, followed by IT, life insurance, and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs). According to brokerage analyses, NBFIs, jute, and cement sectors remained the most buoyant, while telecommunications and miscellaneous sectors faced mild declines.

A breakdown from UCB and BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage showed that most large-cap sectors posted gains. NBFIs rose 1.71%, engineering 1.61%, banking 1%, fuel and power 0.99%, food and allied 0.70%, and telecom 0.63%. Pharmaceuticals stood out as the only major sector to post a loss, declining 0.63%.

Chittagong Market Also Advances

The positive momentum extended to the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), where the CASPI index gained 41.70 points, or 0.31%, closing at 13,368.53.

Key Market Data