Bangladesh, Sept. 21 -- Stocks plunged on Monday, snapping a four-session winning streak, as investors reacted negatively to the government's latest fuel price hike, fearing higher inflation and production costs would squeeze corporate earnings.

Advertisement The government raised the prices of all four major petroleum products by Tk 20 per litre - diesel, kerosene, petrol and octane - citing a surge in global fuel prices.

The latest increase is expected to put further pressure on businesses already grappling with high operating costs, while investors fear that higher transportation and energy costs could fuel inflation in the coming days.

The government raised the retail price of diesel to Tk 135 a litre from Tk 115, octane to Tk 165...