Shopping centres to remain open from 11am to 9pm
Following demands from business owners, the government has extended the operating hours for shops and shopping centres.
Under the new decision, businesses may remain open from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm.
The Bangladesh Shop Owners Association confirmed the matter. In a press release issued at around 2:00 pm today, Thursday, the association stated that Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud spoke over phone with the association’s president, Md Helal Uddin, earlier in the day.
During the conversation, the minister informed him that, effective immediately, shops and shopping centres may operate from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Following demands from business owners, the government has extended the operating hours for shops and shopping centres.
Under the new decision, businesses may remain open from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm.
The Bangladesh Shop Owners Association confirmed the matter. In a press release issued at around 2:00 pm today, Thursday, the association stated that Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud spoke over phone with the association’s president, Md Helal Uddin, earlier in the day.
During the conversation, the minister informed him that, effective immediately, shops and shopping centres may operate from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
In response to the global energy crisis created by the conflict in the Middle East, the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, decided at a meeting on the night of 2 April to reduce the operating hours of government and private offices by one hour.
At the same time, the government decided to require shops and shopping centres to close at 6:00 pm, and the measure took effect the following day.
However, authorities later extended the closing time by one hour following a request from traders’ associations.
Before the holy festival of Eid-ul-Azha, the government temporarily relaxed restrictions on the operating hours of shops and shopping centres.
After Eid, however, authorities reimposed strict enforcement of the 7:00 pm closing time.
Business owners subsequently demanded permission to keep shops and shopping centres open from 12:00 noon until 10:00 pm.
Following those requests, the government announced today, Thursday that shops and shopping centres may now operate from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm.