Home
+
Published : 03 Apr 2026, 01:00 AM
The government has decided to shorten official working hours and introduce a series of cost-cutting measures, including restrictions on lighting for private events and reduced public spending.
The measures come as part of a broader government strategy to manage the ongoing energy and power crisis across the country, triggered by the conflict in the Middle East.
Under the new decision, government offices will operate from 9am to 4pm, replacing the current schedule of 9am to 5pm.
The measures were approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday evening at the Secretariat, which ran for nearly three hours.
Briefing reporters afterwards, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani said all shops, markets and shopping centres across the country would also be required to close by 6pm.
He said the government had decided to introduce electric buses for schools to reduce the number of private vehicles used to transport students.
“At present, a large number of cars are used for school transport. This will be discouraged, and electric buses will be introduced as an alternative across Dhaka and the rest of the country,” he said.
School authorities will be allowed to import such buses duty-free, while commercial buyers will be able to import them with a 20 percent duty, provided they are new vehicles.
The government has also banned decorative lighting for private events, including weddings and other social occasions, as part of efforts to reduce energy consumption.
In addition, spending on hospitality at meetings and seminars will be cut by 50 percent, while expenditure on fuel, electricity and gas will be reduced by 30 percent, according to the cabinet secretary.
He added that unnecessary travel by officials would also be curtailed by around 30 percent.
The decisions are aimed at easing pressure on energy use and public expenditure.
The cabinet secretary said the prime minister had spent nearly 18 hours at work on Thursday as the measures were finalised.
