Shops, markets and shopping malls across Bangladesh will return to their regular closing time of 8pm from Friday, as the extended hours allowed for Durga Puja come to an end, reducing their opening hours by two hours.
Under the revised schedule, businesses can remain open from 11am to 8pm, following the previous rules set by the Power Division to conserve electricity and manage power consumption.
The government had allowed shops and shopping malls to remain open until 10pm until 22 October to facilitate shopping during Durga Puja. The extension was announced on 5 October.
Shop opening hours have been revised several times this year amid an energy crisis and efforts to save electricity. In early April, the government ordered shops and shopping malls to close by 6pm. Following demands from business owners, the closing time was extended to 7pm.
Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, businesses were temporarily allowed to remain open until 10pm from 12 May. In June, the closing time was set at 9pm before being reduced to 8pm from 12 August as part of electricity-saving measures.
With the Durga Puja extension now over, the regular 11am-to-8pm schedule has resumed.
