Scenes of stock violence

Cars vandalised, glass shattered, tyres burnt and bricks broken on roads, armed policemen with batons in hand chasing people in a violent situation -- these are all common whenever any unrest erupts in the garment industry or during political violence. But Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh have seen similar scenes in the wake of unprecedented falls in Dhaka and Chittagong stockmarkets. Thousands of angry retail investors, who only a few months ago had trusted the bourses as popular investment destinations for their savings, are now taking to the streets to vent their anger. The circuit breaker, the authorities' latest tool to rein in the free-fall of indices and calm investor jitters, fell apart. Another 600-point decline in Dhaka stocks in just five minutes, fastest in recent times, forced the market regulator to halt trade on the two bourses yesterday. Photos: Amran Hossain