Banks open for limited hours till April 28

Bangladesh Bank has asked lenders to continue operating on a limited scale until the second week of the ongoing lockdown ends on April 28, all aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.

Clients will be allowed to conduct banking activities from 10:00am to 1:00pm in this period. However, branches will remain open until 2:30pm to complete their regular procedures, according to a central bank circular issued yesterday.

The decision came just hours after the government announced that it would extend the strict nationwide lockdown that began last Wednesday by another week amid an alarming rise in coronavirus infections and deaths.

Earlier on April 12, the central bank ordered all lenders to close all branches from April 14 as a part of numerous restrictions placed on public movement.

Upon hearing the announcement, thousands of clients thronged the branches of their respective banks in a gross violation of health guidelines.

Amid such massive pressure from clients, Bangladesh Bank revised its decision the same day and asked all banks to operate for a limited number of hours.

However, staff of these banks have found it difficult to travel to their offices as all public transport movement had been suspended.

On condition of anonymity, an official of a private bank in Dhanmondi said he lived in Mirpur and it was very difficult to manage transport to his workplace.

As a result, he sometimes was having to pay way more than the usual fare and was usually ending up late to work due to the lack of transportation, he added.