The Bangladesh government has extended the operating hours for shops and shopping malls in response to traders’ demands. According to a statement confirmed by the Bangladesh Shop Owners Association, businesses can now remain open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The decision was communicated by the Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, during a phone conversation with the association’s president, Md. Helal Uddin. The association expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the minister for the decision.

Earlier, amid a global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict, the government had shortened office hours and ordered shops and malls to close by 6 p.m. from April 2. That restriction was later eased slightly following requests from business groups. Before Eid-ul-Azha, the government temporarily relaxed the schedule, but after the festival, closing time was again set at 7 p.m. Traders had since urged for longer operating hours, proposing a 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. schedule.

The new timing, effective immediately, aims to balance energy-saving measures with business interests as the country continues to manage the impact of the global fuel shortage.