Banking hours extended by half an hour

The central bank yesterday extended banking hours in line with the easing of coronavirus-linked lockdown rules, giving more time to customers to carry out financial transactions.   

Clients can secure banking services from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm from today to May 30 from branches, according to a notice of the Bangladesh Bank.

Branches will remain open until 4:00 pm to complete their regular procedures.

Until yesterday, banks allowed customers to do banking from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Before the pandemic, branches were open to customers from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The central bank took the decision after the government extended the nationwide restrictions on public movement by another week to May 30 to curb the second wave of Covid-19.

It, however, allowed all public transports to resume operation from today, for the first time since April 5. Inter-district and long-distance buses, launches and trains can now operate at half capacity across the country.

The BB extended the banking hours considering the "stable coronavirus infection rate", a central banker said.

Banks have been following a roster system for their employees since April 14.

The government enforced lockdown-like controls from April 5 after the infection rate and death tolls from the disease had begun rising alarmingly. As the situation worsened, it had gone for a strict countrywide lockdown from April 14.