Energy Crunch Forces Bangladesh to Shorten Office Hours, Limit Shop Hours

To conserve electricity and fuel, the government has decided to keep government offices open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM starting Sunday.

This decision was made at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarek Rahman on Thursday.

After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani briefed the media and provided these details.

The cabinet members convened at around 8:45 PM in the Cabinet Room of the National Parliament Secretariat, and the meeting continued until 11:30 PM.

Nasimul Ghani told journalists that, to save electricity, banking transactions will be conducted from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Shops, markets, and business establishments will be allowed to remain open until 6:00 PM.

He also said that a decision regarding educational institutions will be made on Sunday.

Currently, government offices operate from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Accordingly, office hours have been reduced by one hour.

Due to attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, almost the entire world is facing a fuel crisis. Bangladesh is also experiencing long queues for fuel, with people having to wait for hours.

Meanwhile, reports are emerging from different parts of the country about illegal fuel hoarding. The government is conducting drives to prevent stockpiling.

Amid instability caused by the conflict, the government is trying to procure fuel from alternative sources beyond the Middle East. At the same time, efforts are underway to conserve energy. The government is also taking initiatives to reduce public expenditure.

The Cabinet Secretary said, “Government spending will be reduced over the next three months. During this period, no new vehicles, watercraft, aircraft, or computer equipment will be purchased.

“Internal training has been reduced by 50 percent. All foreign training funded by the government will remain suspended until further notice. Expenses for meetings and seminars will also be reduced by 50 percent. Government spending in the fuel, electricity, and gas sectors will be cut by 30 percent. Unnecessary travel expenses have also been instructed to be reduced by 30 percent.”