Shops, Shopping Malls to Close at 8pm from Today

Shops, markets and shopping malls will close at 8pm from today (Friday), following the expiry of a special permission allowing them to remain open until 10pm for Durga Puja. They will operate from 11am to 8pm under the previous schedule.

The government has revised shop closing hours several times this year to save electricity amid an energy crisis. On October 5, the Power Division allowed shops, markets and shopping malls to remain open until 10pm through October 22 on the occasion of Durga Puja. With the deadline over, the previous schedule has been reinstated from today.

Under the directive, shops, markets and shopping malls were allowed to remain open from 11am to 10pm until October 22. From October 23, they must close at 8pm.

Earlier this year, the government initially decided in early April that shopping malls and shops must close by 6pm. Following demands from businesspeople, the closing time was later extended to 7pm.

Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, shops were temporarily permitted to remain open until 10pm from May 12. In June, the closing time was set at 9pm. On August 12, it was brought forward by another hour to 8pm to conserve electricity.

The regular schedule of 11am to 8pm remained in effect until the temporary extension for Durga Puja. With that extension now expired, the previous schedule has come back into force.