The BSE benchmark index Sensex declined by over 32 points in early trade today .The 30-share index, which had gained 110.61 points yesterday, fell by 32.56 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 17,174.73 . Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty shed 11.20 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 5,211.45. In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose by 0.08 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei Index gained 0.94 per centin morning trade. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.58 per cent higher yesterday.