Dhaka, July 23 -- The country's stock markets closed the week on a downbeat note on Thursday, with both the Dhaka and Chattogram bourses recording sharp declines as prices fell for the majority of listed companies.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange's (DSE) benchmark index, DSEX, shed 66 points during the day's trading. The other two indices also slid, with the Shariah-based DSES falling 16 points and the blue-chip DS30 losing 23 points.

All three DSE indices posted declines of more than 1 percent compared to the previous session. Of the issues traded, 310 companies saw their share prices fall, while 59 advanced and 20 remained unchanged.

Turnover at the DSE also dropped sharply, falling by around Tk 300 crore from Wednesday. The bourse saw tran...