The government has temporarily allowed shops and shopping malls to remain open until 10pm instead of 8pm effective from July 1 to 10 on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
The decision came on Wednesday from the Ministry of Labour and Employment in a gazette notification issued to the press.
Earlier on June 19, State Minister for Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian said that shops and shopping malls would remain closed after 8.0pm from Monday to save electricity amid soaring global prices of energy.
Business leaders, however, requested the prime minister to allow business activities for additional two hours in the first 10 days of July ahead of Eid-ul-Azha during their meeting with the Ministry of Labour and Employment and its State Minister Begum Monnujan Sufian on Sunday.
The ministry issued a gazette in this regard on Wednesday. Following the government order, owners had been closing shopping malls and stores across the country after 8pm.
The Prime Minister's Office in a letter on June 17, 2022 gave the order on PM Sheikh Hasina's instructions to several ministries, departments and local authorities, stating that the Bangladesh Labour Act has already stipulated the closure of shops at 8:00pm.
The Prime Minister gave the directives to save power and energy amid rising energy prices worldwide following the Russia-Ukraine war.
The government raised gas prices earlier this month to keep with the rising energy costs. Gas for power plants will now cost Tk 5.02 per cubic metre, up from Tk 4.45. The cost of gas for captive power plants has increased from Tk 13.85 to Tk16.
