The BSE benchmark Sensex today rose 145 points in early trade on sustained buying by funds and retailers tracking a firming trend in Asian region. The 30-share barometer, which had gained almost 200 points on Friday, rose further by 145 points to 16,984.Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 44 points to 5,143. In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose by 1.13 per cent, while the Japan's Nikkei by 1.08 per cent in early trade today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 1.46 per cent higher in the last session on Friday.