Bangladesh’s central bank has directed all banks to provide customer services from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm starting Wednesday in line with new office hours in an effort to save electricity.
Employees must leave offices by 5:00 pm, Bangladesh Bank said in a notice on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commissioner will announce fresh operating hours for stock exchanges on Tuesday.
Trading on the two stock markets continues from 10 am to 2:30 pm in line with the banks. Now the time will be readjusted to the new banking hours, said BSEC spokesman Md Rezaul Karim.
The central bank said the notice is not applicable to the banks at port and customs areas, which remain open 24 hours a day.
The regular working hours at banks were from 10 am to 6 pm, with transactions allowed until 4 pm.
The cabinet took the decision to reduce office time by one hour at government and autonomous institutions, and banks in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier in the day.
Government offices and autonomous institutions will remain open from 8am to 3pm starting Wednesday instead of the usual 9am to 5pm schedule.
The government has also decided to keep schools, colleges and higher educational institutions closed on Fridays and Saturdays instead of only on Fridays.
