Bangladesh Extends Shop Closing Time to 7 PM

The government has revised its earlier decision on shopping hours, allowing shops and shopping malls to remain open until 7 pm instead of 6 pm.

State Minister for Energy Anindya Islam Amit announced the change at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday (April 5).

Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Helal Uddin confirmed the development to Jugantor. He said traders had requested an extension during a meeting with government officials. Following the discussion, authorities decided to extend business hours by one hour.

Earlier, the government had set a 6 pm closing time to reduce energy consumption amid global fuel uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict. Traders, however, urged the government to allow operations until 8 pm. The revised decision sets the new closing time at 7 pm.

On April 3, the government introduced several measures to manage energy use. These included closing markets and shopping malls after 6 pm, while essential services such as grocery shops and pharmacies were exempted.

Office hours for government and private institutions were also adjusted to 9 am–4 pm. Banking services operate from 9 am–3 pm, with banks closing at 4 pm.

The government said about 80% of Bangladesh’s oil imports come from the Middle East. Due to ongoing instability in the region, authorities are exploring alternative fuel sources.