Govt Orders 8pm Closing for Shops and Shopping Malls

The government has decided to close shopping malls, markets and shops by 8pm to save electricity. It has also ordered all illuminated billboards to be switched off by 7pm and all decorative lighting to remain off. The directive was issued on Wednesday (August 12) by the Coordination-2 branch of the Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Under the new decision, shops, markets and shopping malls across the country may remain open from 11am to 8pm.

A government decision allowing these establishments to remain open until 9pm had been in effect since June 11. The new directive, signed by Deputy Secretary Md Mamun Bhuiyan, reduces the closing time by one hour from August 12. The directive also applies to ongoing and upcoming fairs, trade fairs and cultural events across the country. Necessary steps must be taken to ensure that these events end by 8pm.

However, food shops, hospitals, pharmacies and related establishments will remain outside the scope of the directive. Mayors or administrators of city corporations, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners have been instructed to ensure compliance with the new timings. They have also been asked to ensure that illuminated billboards are turned off by 7pm and decorative lighting remains off.

Copies of the directive have been sent to the Cabinet Secretary, the Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser, Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board, Bangladesh Power Development Board, DPDC, DESCO and other relevant agencies. The decision has also been communicated to the Bangladesh Shop Owners Association and the Dhaka Shop Owners Association.