Dhaka, Dec. 21 -- Trading at both the Dhaka and Chattogram stock exchanges began on a negative note on Sunday, with key indices falling in the first hour amid widespread price declines.

At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index shed 21 points in early trading.

The Shariah-based DSES index fell by 4 points, while the blue-chip DS30 index dropped 8 points.

Most listed companies witnessed price erosion. Of the issues traded, prices declined for 206 companies, while 65 advanced and 76 remained unchanged.

Share and unit turnover at the DSE crossed Tk 60 crore in the first hour of trading.

The downward trend also continued at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), where the overall index slipped by 5 points.

Prices rose fo...