Dhaka shopping centres not opening before Eid

Popular shopping destinations Gausia and Chandni Chowk will also not reopen before the Eid-ul-Fitr amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

The businessmen of the shopping centres took the decision after a meeting on Saturday afternoon, said Chandni Chowk Businessmen Forum chairman Md Nizam Uddin.

“We, the businessmen of 11 shopping centres, have decided not to reopen before Eid. The list includes New Market, Chandni Chowk, Gausia, Noor Mansion, Eastern Mollika, Chistia and Dhanmondi Hawkers’ Market, among others,” he told Prothom Alo.

Earlier, the authorities of Bashundhara City Shopping Complex and Jamuna Future Park, two of the capital’s biggest shopping malls, decided not to reopen before Eid to contain deadly coronavirus.

Moreover, shops of Mirpur 1 to Mirpur 11, Motalib Plaza, Annexco Tower, Bongo Bazar, Mohanagar Complex, Dhaka Trade Centre, Fulbaria Supermarket, Sundarban Supermarket, Zakir Plaza, Nagar Plaza, City Plaza, Mouchak and Anarkoli Market, among others, have also confirmed to remain shut till this Eid.

Shopping centres and malls have been kept shut since 26 march to limit the spread of COVID-19.

However, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said to keep shops and shopping malls open in a limited scale for Eid, upon maintaining health guidelines during the general holidays.

Formal directive was also given to open the shops from 10 May.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has issued a set of instructions to the authorities of shopping malls in the capital set to open ahead of the Eid.

According to the DMP notice, markets can be kept open from 10:00am to 4:00pm, but temporary shops will not be allowed in public places or on footpaths.

Shoppers will have to shop in malls within two kilometres of their residence. They will have to carry valid proof of identity mentioning address with them for verification of their residential areas.

Besides, the leaders of business organisations in Sylhet and Chittagong cities have unanimously decided not to open shopping malls and markets before Eid.