Shops and markets will now remain open from 11 AM to 9 PM following a government decision made in response to demands from traders.
The Bangladesh Shop Owners Association confirmed the development in a press release on Thursday (June 11).
According to the statement, the Minister of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, spoke over the phone with the association’s president, Md. Helal Uddin, and informed him of the new operating hours.
The minister announced that, starting immediately, shops and shopping malls would be allowed to stay open from 11 AM to 9 PM.
The shop owners’ association expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud for the decision.
Previously, due to an energy shortage linked to conflict in the Middle East, the government had instructed shops and markets to close at 7 PM.
