Shopping malls and markets largely defied the government directive to close their outlets by 6:00pm from Friday in a bid to minimise energy consumption amid the ongoing Gulf conflict.
During a visit to different city areas, including Dhanmondi, New Market Area, Elephant Road and Panthapath on Friday, the first day of the government-imposed austerity measures, most of the shopping malls and markets, including New Market, Dhanmondi Hawkers Market, Globe Shopping Centre, Priyangon Shopping Centre, Shimanto Square Shopping Mall, Gausia Market and AL Baraka Tower were found open after 6:00pm.
Most of the shops on the ground floor and second floor of the Shimanto Square Shopping Mall were found operating at about 6:45pm on Friday.
A local clothing Brand Gentle Park showroom Shiminato Square Branch manager Md Shamim told New Age that they kept their showroom open following the order from the shopping mall authorities.
Basundhara City Shopping Complex security guards did not allow people to enter the market from 6:15pm on the day while many people were seen gathered in front of the market and requesting them to allow inside for a few minutes.
Sufia Begum, a housewife, was requesting the security guard to allow her in.
‘I want to buy toys for my child. I need 10-15 minutes. It is difficult to come in the weekdays due to household chores and managing children and husband at home,’ Sufia explained.
Some shops were found open inside the market but a good number of people were coming outside from the shopping complex.
Rapa Plaza at Dhanmondi-27 and Anam Rangs Plaza at Dhanmondi 6/A were found completely closed at 6:30pm.
A security guard at Anam Rangs Plaza said that they had closed the shopping mall at 6:00pm as per the government order.
On the other hand, most of the shops in different city areas were found open during the visit between 6:10pm and 8:00pm.
Bangladesh Shop Owner’s Association in a press release on Friday urged the prime minister to reconsider the government decision and urged him to allow the shopping malls and shops to stay open from 11:00am to 8:00pm instead of from 9:00am to 6:00pm.
Signed by association president Md Nazmul Hasan Mahmud and general secretary Md Arifur Rahman Tipu, the release said that the association standing committee conducted an emergency virtual meeting and decided to request the prime minister to reconsider the decisions.
It said that they urged the prime minister to reconsider the decision taking into account the livelihoods of about the 70 lakh shop owners and their two crore and 50 lakh staff members.
‘The government cut office time by one hour and cut shop and shopping mall business time to four. The government can pay salaries and others from tax earnings, but how can the private sector survive?’ the association president Md Nazmul Hasan Mahmud asked.
He said that they also wanted austerity but they could reduce two hours from morning and increase two hours in the evening.
Asked why most of the shops and shopping malls were open after 6:00pm, he said that if they wanted to close shops at 6:00pm, they had to start preparations from 4:30pm.
‘If such directives stay, it will be difficult for us to survive,’ he added.
The cabinet in a meeting chaired by prime minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday decided to take a few austerity steps in the wake of the United States and Israeli attack on Iran since February 28 with retaliatory actions from Tehran, including imposition of restrictions on the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, critical for the supply of energy to Asia and Europe.
Under the new measures, all government and private offices will operate from 9:00am to 4:00pm, banks from 9:00am to 3:00pm with the banks closing fully by 4:00pm while shops, markets and shopping malls are required to close by 6:00pm.
