Dhaka, Jan. 4 -- Factories had closed following years of losses. Then the economy plunged into turmoil. But nothing seems to have kept the stocks of Imam Button Industries and Meghna Condensed Milk Industries from making giant leaps in the gloomy stock market in 2022.

Why? One simple answer -- manipulation.

The junk stocks even featured in the annual top gainers' list.

Imam Button's share price jumped 400 per cent while Meghna Condensed Milk's 183 per cent last year when a majority of the listed companies, including those who stood strong against all odds, endured significant price corrections.

While explaining the abnormal rise in the share prices, Prof Abu Ahmed, former chairman of the economics department at the University of Dhaka...