Banks reopen on Jul 25 with limited transaction hours in post-Eid lockdown

Banks in Bangladesh will carry out transactions for three and a half hours from Jul 25 after the Eid-ul-Azha holidays when the government reimposes stringent lockdown measures from Friday.

Bangladesh Bank limited the transaction hours from 10am to 1:30pm. Other tasks will be allowed to continue until 3pm.

The central bank directed the banks to continue operating with a reduced number of staffers as they had been doing before the lockdown was eased for the Eid holidays.

The imposed restrictions will stay in place until Aug 5.

With the banks only shut on the weekends, principal branches and foreign exchange branches must remain open. Branches located near ports and customs areas, too, must remain operational round the clock.

State-run banks must keep at least one of their branches open in every district and Upazila.

Private banks can keep a maximum of two branches open in each district. The central bank asked branches that are to stay shut to keep their customer services segment operational.

Banks will have to arrange transportation of their staffers during this time while the officials must have their identification cards on them at all times.