Shops, malls to remain open till 10pm before Eid: Shop Owners’ Association
Shops and shopping malls will remain open until 10:00 pm instead of 7:00 pm ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. The decision will take effect from Tuesday, 12 May.
The Bangladesh Shop Owners’ Association announced this in a press release on Thursday evening.
The press release stated that on 4 May, the association had applied to the Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, requesting that shop hours be extended from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm until Eid-ul-Azha.
The press release claimed that the minister informed the association’s president Md Helal Uddin on Thursday that from 12 May until Eid-ul-Azha, shops and shopping malls could remain open until 10:00 pm. However, no decorative lighting or excessive electricity use will be allowed in shops and malls.
When contacted, Bangladesh Shop Owners’ Association president Md Helal Uddin told Prothom Alo that he had spoken with the minister twice regarding the matter.
He said, “I told the minister that if shop hours are not extended, traders cannot properly prepare for Eid. The minister then said he would consult the prime minister and inform the final decision. Today around 4:00 pm, he told me that shops can remain open until 10:00 pm, but there will be no official government notification on this.”
Earlier, on 28 February, the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran, after which Iran retaliated. The conflict later spread across the Middle East. At one stage, the strategic Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed, causing a sharp rise in fuel prices and a severe energy crisis, which also affected Bangladesh.
In response to the global energy crisis caused by the Middle East war situation, office hours for both government and private sectors were reduced by one hour in a cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister on the night of 2 April.
At the same time, it was decided that shops and shopping malls would close at 6:00 pm, which came into effect the following day. Later, the time was extended by one hour following requests from traders’ associations.