Investors' reluctance to make fresh exposure to a volatile market dragged stocks into the red yesterday.
DSEX, the benchmark general index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, closed the day at 4,687.19 points, shedding 12.43 points or 0.26 percent.
DSES, the shariah index of the DSE, gained 8.28 points or 0.82 percent to close the day at 1,019.62 points.
The bourse observed flat movements with some volatility in the last few sessions, IDLC Investments, an investment banker, said.    
Market movement made some stocks unattractive, while investors chased others, said LankaBangla Securities, a stockbroker.
Multinationals and manufacturing stocks performed well, the stockbroker added.
Pharma, cement and textiles regained poise with stocks continuing to test new highs.
Cement makers saw the highest gain of 4.3 percent, with Lafarge Surma Cement alone taking up 10 percent of the sector's market capitalisation.
Turnover, the most important indicator of the market, advanced 23.67 percent to Tk 510 crore from the previous day.
A total of 1.09 lakh trades were executed with 8.41 crore shares and mutual fund units changing hands on the Dhaka bourse.
Losers took a strong lead over the gainers as 185 declined, 83 advanced and 25 remained unchanged of the 293 issues traded on the DSE.
Lafarge Surma Cement featured in the most traded stocks chart with 89.66 lakh shares worth Tk 40.89 crore changing hands followed by Square Pharma, Square Textile and Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company.
Progressive Life Insurance was the biggest gainer of the day, posting a 7.30 percent gain, while IDLC Finance was the worst loser, plunging 24.05 percent.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange declined yesterday with its CSCX, the selective categories index, declining 48.04 percent, to close the day at 9,159.71 points.
Losers beat gainer 149 to 58, while 15 issues remained unchanged on the port city bourse that traded 82.64 lakh shares and mutual fund units with Tk 46 crore in turnover.