Sopping malls, shops to remain open till 7PM

The government has decided to allow shops and shopping malls to remain open until 7PM following demands from business owners.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit announced the decision on Sunday while speaking to journalists at his office in the Secretariat.

The move comes just days after the cabinet, on April 2, had ordered all shops and shopping malls to close by 6PM due to an energy crisis triggered by ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Business leaders, including representatives from the Bangladesh Shop Owners Association, had urged the government to reconsider the earlier decision. They appealed to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to allow them to open shops until 8PM, even proposing to open shops later at 11AM, instead of 9AM.

In response, the government partially accommodated their demands by extending operating hours by one additional hour, setting the new closing time at 7PM.