Shop owners have urged the government to extend business hours ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, a peak trade season, as the current shutdown time of 7:00pm is impacting sales.
Traders say the restriction has disrupted the natural flow of business, as a significant portion of daily sales typically takes place in the evening.
Around 40 per cent of sales occur in the daytime, while the remaining 60 per cent are usually made from evening to night, they said.
Traders warned that if the situation continues, many may struggle to pay salaries and rent, while government VAT revenue could decline due to lower sales.
Customers prefer shopping after work, but the gap between office closing time and shop closure has decreased, limiting their opportunities.
To address this, the shop owners demanded extending business hours by at least two hours.
In April, the government instructed that all shops must be closed by 7:00pm due to an energy crisis amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Sohrab Hossen, shop owners president of Noorjahan Super Market located opposite of Dhaka College, told New Age that evening hours are crucial for business.
‘People mainly come for shopping in the evening,’ he said, urging authorities to allow shops to operate from 12:00pm to 12:00am before Eid.
He added that they are already facing economic sluggishness and must ensure adequate sales to meet operational costs, including worker salaries.
In a letter sent on May 3 to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity requested that shop hours be extended until 11:00pm from May 10 ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
The association also proposed that markets can remain closed for seven consecutive days after Eid as a trade-off.
Leaders of the association claimed that sales have nearly come to a halt due to the current restrictions, placing traders under mounting financial pressure.
They said, Eid-ul-Azha typically drives higher consumer spending, and allowing shops to stay open until late at night would help businesses recover losses.
The electricity supply situation has improved compared with earlier weeks, they observed in the letter.
In a separate letter, the Bangladesh Shop Business Owners Association demanded that the closing time be extended up to at least 9:00pm.
They also proposed an alternative measure — shifting opening hours to 11:00am instead of 9:00am — to help save electricity.
Bangladesh Jewellers Association chairman of Pricing and Price Monitoring Standing Committee Dewan Aminul Islam Shahin said the issue is affecting markets nationwide.
He pointed out that customers are unable to shop with their families due to early closures.
‘The fuel situation has improved somewhat, so shop hours should be extended ahead of Eid,’ he said, calling on the government to allow longer business hours for at least a week before the festival.
Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association president Imran Hassan also echoed similar concerns, saying businesses are incurring heavy losses.
He added that the association will hold a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday and demanded that business hours be extended to 11:00pm to help revive sales during the crucial Eid period.
