Banks to operate from 10am to 1pm during lockdown

Bangladesh bank

Changing the previous day's decision on closure of banks, Bangladesh Bank on Tuesday took a fresh decision that banks will operate from 10:00am to 1:00pm for general transactions from 14 April to 21 April during the 'all-out lockdown' declared by the government, reports UNB.

However, banks can operate up to 2:30pm for the execution of other required activities, said Bangladesh Bank in a circular issued at 8:00pm on Tuesday.

The release says, banks can keep one non-AD branch open within 2 km radius in the city corporation area and in upazila level one branch of each bank can open on Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday.

The BB circular also said, during the banking transaction hours, the banks have to ensure different kinds of services including clearing of cheques, withdrawal and deposits of money, money transfer, release of remittance, encashment of different instruments and also receipt of the payments of bills of different utilities.

BB said banks have to continue services like disbursement of loans, incentives, payment of salaries of different industries and also the purchase of export bills, loan sanction and distribution.

They have to ensure operation of the ATM booths to facilitate transaction through cards by supply of adequate cash in the machines while the evening banking and weekly holiday banking activities will remain closed until further order, said the circular.