Shops, malls can stay open for two more hours until 9pm

The decision comes after multiple revisions to operating hours amid fuel and power constraints, trader demands

The government has extended the closing time for shops and shopping malls by two hours from 7pm to 9pm.

The decision follows repeated adjustments to operating hours amid an energy crunch and demands from business owners.

Under the new directive, shops and shopping malls can remain open from 11am to 9pm.

Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Md Helal Uddin informed bdnews24.com of the development through a media statement.

According to the statement, Power Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood spoke with Helal over the phone at noon and informed him that shops and shopping malls would be allowed to operate from 11am to 9pm from Thursday.

Helal thanked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Minister Iqbal for the decision.

The energy crisis deepened after the BNP government took office in February 2026, with fuel prices rising sharply against a backdrop of a global supply crunch triggered by the conflict in West Asia.

In response, a cabinet meeting cut working hours for public and private offices by one hour and ordered shops and malls to shut by 6pm, with the rules taking effect the following day.

The closing time was later pushed back to 7pm after the shop owners association appealed for relief.

Ahead of Eid ul-Azha, the limit was relaxed to 10pm, but tightened back to 7pm after the holiday.

Traders have been pressing for shops and malls to remain open from noon to 10pm.

Business owners, however, have continued to demand permission to keep shops and shopping malls open from noon until 10pm.