Briefing 25-12-2021

Dhaka stocks keep bleeding

Stocks suffered yet another setback in the outgoing week, with the key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) falling to four month low, amid confidence crisis among investors. The week featured five trading days as usual and four sessions ended sharply lower while one saw marginal rise. Week-on-week, DSEX, the prime index of DSE, slid 165.56 points or 2.41 per cent to settle the week at 6,702, lowest in more than four months since August 12 this year, when the core index was 6,699. Page 9

DLS's no to ministry's proposal

A government body says no to a commerce ministry's proposal for allowing import of venison as well as camel meat to let the local market grow more. The ministry recently wrote to the department of fishes and livestock (DFL), seeking opinion on the import of frozen meat of such animals. Page 15

Federation Cup football begins today

Bashundhara Group Federation Cup Football begins today (Saturday) at Birshreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in city's Kamalapur with two matches billed for the opening day. Page 13

Yet another pandemic Christmas

Omicron's rise has heralded another pandemic-tinged Christmas for billions, with Santa's arrival and longed-for family reunions overshadowed by the prospect of yet more Covid restrictions. Festive jokes about reindeer having "herd immunity" and millions isolating "Home Alone" may be wearing thin, but the emergence of the ultra-infectious Omicron variant means the pandemic isn't going anywhere. Page 14