Shopkeepers appeal to PM seeking 12-9pm business hours 

Retailers have turned up the heat on the government, urging Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to roll back restrictive business hours that they say are choking trade and livelihoods.

In a sharply worded appeal, the Bangladesh Shop Owner Association demanded permission to open shops and malls from 12 noon to 9:00pm, warning that current limits are strangling the country's retail engine.

The call came through a press release on Tuesday, signed by President Nazmul Hasan Mahmud and General Secretary Arifur Rahman Tipu. "Seven million shopkeepers serve nearly 120 million voters," the statement said, pressing the government to rethink the 7pm closing cap in the interest of keeping the economy moving.

The demand follows an emergency virtual meeting of the association's standing committee on April 6, where leaders said the early shutdown has dealt a "major blow" to business. The core issue is peak business hours. Traders estimate that 60-70 percent of daily retail sales take place after evening-time now effectively cut off.

They backed their plea with hard numbers. Retail and wholesale trade contributed roughly 15 percent to GDP in FY2024-25, while shopkeepers account for just 3 percent of national electricity consumption. With summer heat driving higher daytime power use, they argue, keeping shops open into the evening won't significantly strain the grid.

But the stakes go beyond profits. The association warned that adhering to current hours will leave many businesses unable to pay wages or rent. Small and medium traders, they said, risk being pushed "onto the streets," threatening the livelihoods of some 25 million people tied to the sector.

The government move to curb operating hours stems from an ongoing energy crunch linked to instability in the Middle East. On April 2, authorities ordered all shops, commercial establishments and malls to shut by 6pm-a decision that sparked immediate backlash. A day later, the deadline was extended to 7pm following trader pressure.

Still dissatisfied, shopkeepers are now doubling down. Earlier, they proposed opening at 11am instead of 9am with an 8pm closing. Now, they want a cleaner reset: noon to 9pm.

With tensions rising between economic survival and energy conservation, the government faces a growing dilemma-keep the lights off early, or let the market breathe.