Dhaka, June 19 -- The country's main bourse has remained stuck in a prolonged downturn since March, with low investor confidence pushing turnover below Tk 4 billion on most trading days.

The benchmark DSEX index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) shed 22 points on Thursday to close at 4,754, while turnover dropped by Tk 228 million to Tk 3.05 billion compared with the previous session.

The DSE has been in a bear market since authorities began phasing out a floor price mechanism earlier this year, which had artificially propped up indices since the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the floor prevented sharp drops, it also severely dampened liquidity.

A brief recovery followed the political transition in early August, with gains in index and turn...