Govt reschedules office timing from 8am to 3pm from Wednesday

The cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Monday) rescheduled all the government and autonomous offices hours from 8:00am to 3:00pm and banking hours from 9:00am to 4:00pm aiming to reduce electricity consumption and ease traffic.

The decision came at the regular cabinet meeting as the premier joined it virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital.

The Prime Minister's other cabinet colleagues and officials concerned were present at the conference room of the Cabinet Division in Bangladesh Secretariat.

"The new office hours would be effective from Wednesday next," said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing newsmen after the meeting at the Secretariat.

The educational institutions will have two weekly holidays as well, he said, adding that the education ministry will now issue a circular in this regard.

In the meeting, the cabinet also asked the power, energy and mineral resources ministry to ensure the uninterrupted electricity supply in the rural areas from midnight to dawn for the next 10-15 days so that the irrigation is not hampered.

The Cabinet directed the government offices to remove curtains from there (offices) to get natural lights as well as to use air conditioners as little as possible to cut electricity consumption, said Anwarul Islam.

In the meeting, Bangladesh Bank Governor also declared the new office hours for the banks, he added.

The cabinet secretary hoped that the decisions (new office hours and two-day weekly holiday in educational institutions) would help saving electricity and easing traffic congestion.

Source: BSS

AH