Dhaka Stocks Plunge Over 100 Points as Sell-Off Spreads Across DSE

📈 Dhaka, Bangladesh — Stocks recorded a sharp fall on 6 September 2026 amid heavy selling pressure as investors grew concerned over queries from the bourses about large trades, while the risk of political escalation and the energy crisis further weakened market sentiment.

📊 The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, the DSEX, fell 103 points, or 1.83 percent, to close at 5,558 — its lowest level in about two and a half months, according to EBL Securities. The Chittagong Stock Exchange also followed the DSE, with its benchmark CASPI index shedding 171 points, or 1.1 percent.

📈 The DSEX reached 5,903 on 11 August, its highest level since January this year. Since then, the index has fallen steadily amid persistent energy concerns and growing uncertainty over an economy that has been under strain for the past three years. Over the past month, the DSEX has lost around 5.7 percent, or 336 points.

💰 Turnover Drops 24% to Tk 545 Crore

📊 Investor participation also weakened. Turnover, a key measure of trading activity, fell 24 percent from Thursday to Tk 545 crore, well below the Tk 1,342 crore recorded a month earlier. Of the 389 issues traded yesterday, 348 declined, 20 gained and 21 remained unchanged — a decisively bearish breadth.

📊 The DSE’s blue-chip DS30 index fell 1.1 percent to 2,116. It has declined 3.4 percent over the past month, according to DSE data. The DSEX stood at 5,589 in February when the BNP came to power. The index then rose as investors became more optimistic, reaching 5,926 in mid-July.

🔥 Maheshkhali LNG Fire: Catalyst for Decline

🛢 Stocks began to decline after a fire at the Maheshkhali offshore LNG terminal in late July halved imported gas-regasification capacity and cut supplies to the national grid by about 450 million cubic feet a day. The incident led to severe gas shortages, which worsened in the following weeks.

💬 Saiful Islam, President of the DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh (DBA), said the market has actually been declining for several days as the power and gas crisis has become acute. He said there have been reports of factories closing or failing to keep up production in line with demand because of the energy crisis.

💬 “Many are having to operate using diesel. This will increase companies’ costs, which will directly affect their profits. When companies’ profits are affected, there will inevitably be an impact on the stock market,” said the DBA chief.

⚠ The crisis has reached a point where even government officials have not been able to give any proper assurances.

📋 Bourse Queries on Large Trades Hit Confidence

📊 Saiful, who is also a director of BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage, said the practice of stock exchanges sending queries over relatively large buy or sell orders is also affecting investors.

💬 “Whenever there is a slightly large buy or sell order, the stock exchange sends a query. This issue is becoming increasingly significant. Such practices affect investor confidence,” he said.

📊 According to officials familiar with the matter, stock exchanges serve queries when traders place false orders to create panic. For instance, if an investor places an order to buy 10 lakh shares at a certain price and cancels it after a while, it might prompt authorities to serve a query.

💬 “We will sit with the DSE very soon to discuss the matter so that they can identify those who violate the rules. But there should not be a blanket practice of sending queries whenever someone buys or sells a large volume of shares,” he added.

👥 Multiple Pressures on Investor Sentiment

📊 An analyst at Shanta Securities said queries by the stock exchanges have affected the market to some extent. “The decline in turnover is a reflection of that,” the official said, adding: “The long march by 11-party alliance has also impacted the market due to concern over escalation of political conflict.”

📊 Listed companies have been under pressure from a series of external shocks over the past several years, including:

• 🦠 The Covid-19 pandemic
• 🌏 The Russia-Ukraine war
• 🇺🇸 US tariff measures
• 🌏 The Middle East crisis

📊 High interest rates have added to their difficulties, further reducing their ability to absorb shocks, said an official of Prime Bank Securities, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The energy shortage is also affecting their bottom line,” he added. Any development that hurts the earnings of listed companies eventually affects the market index.

📊 Major Drag: British American Tobacco Bangladesh

📊 According to AamarStock.com, a financial data and research platform focused on the DSE, British American Tobacco Bangladesh’s share-price fall had the biggest impact on the DSEX yesterday, pulling the index down by 6 points. Robi Axiata, Square Pharmaceuticals and Investment Corporation of Bangladesh were the other major contributors.

📊 Industry insiders said these companies had a large impact on the index because of their high paid-up capital. However, they noted that most stocks fell yesterday, reflecting weak investor confidence.

💬 Outlook: Falling Interest Rates Could Help

💬 Shahidul Islam, CEO of VIPB Asset Management Company, said falling interest rates could make fundamentally strong stocks more attractive. With Bangladesh Bank signalling a gradual easing of monetary policy, the cost of funds for banks may decline — creating headroom for a recovery in equity valuations.

🌏 Strategic Context for Bangladesh Capital Markets

📊 For Bangladesh’s capital markets, the 6 September sell-off underscores the fragility of investor sentiment in a market buffeted by overlapping macroeconomic, regulatory and political headwinds. The DSE’s decline from 5,926 in mid-July to 5,558 now — a 6.2% drop in under two months — reflects how quickly confidence can erode when energy supply, regulatory practice and political stability all become uncertain at once.

🤝 For policymakers, the market action signals that:

• 🛢 Energy crisis resolution is urgent — factory closures and diesel-based operations are hitting corporate profitability
• 📋 Regulatory practice reform is needed — blanket queries on large trades are discouraging institutional participation
• 🌏 Political stability matters — street protests and political marches feed investor anxiety
• 💰 Monetary easing could help — lower interest rates would make equities more attractive vs. fixed income

✅ For long-term investors, the current market correction may present opportunities to accumulate fundamentally strong stocks at lower valuations — particularly in sectors like pharmaceuticals, FMCG and financial services that have demonstrated earnings resilience through prior economic cycles. However, sustained recovery will require visible progress on the energy front and a more predictable regulatory environment for institutional investors.