BANGLADESH

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) rose sharply in the first half of trading on Tuesday.

DSE general index increased to 4637.16 points, gaining 115.83 points or 2.56 percent at 1pm.

Shares and mutual funds worth Tk 3.06 billion changed hands until then, with prices of 231 issues advancing, 12 declining and 12 remaining unchanged.

The index rose to 4645.90 points with a gain of 124.57 points or 2.75 percent at 12:08pm.

After posting a rise of 174.72 points or 4 percent to 4542.53 points on Sunday, the DGEN shed 21.20 points, or 0.47 percent, on Monday to 4521.33 points.

The general index had closed the week at 4367.81 points on Thursday, a day after a committee recommended waiver of up to 50 percent interest on margin loans taken by small investors.

The previous week saw the benchmark index gaining on the last two days of trading, a 121.5-point rise on Thursday and a 62.78 point rise the day before.

The gains helped tide over losses it experienced earlier in the week, losing 30.96 points on Monday and 44.56 points on Sunday. At the end of the week, 108.76 points were added to DGEN.

The index has been steadily gaining over the two weeks before that with a 245-point gain in the week between Feb 12 and Feb 16 and a 165-point gain in the week before that (Feb 5-Feb 9).