Ensure banking services during restrictions: Cabinet Division asks Bangladesh Bank

The cabinet division today asked the central bank to take measures to ensure that people get banking services during the countrywide seven-day restrictions on movement.

It made the call just a day after imposing a bar on keeping financial institutions open.

The directive comes amid concerns among businesses and people regarding transactions during the period of closure to slow the spread coronavirus and contain the second wave.

The cabinet division yesterday said financial institutions will have to be closed during the strict restrictions.

Later, Bangladesh Bank (BB) instructed banks to close all branches except for certain branches that provide banking services for international trade.

The decision created worries among people with banks registering long queue of clients at their branches and at ATMs.

The revised circular of the cabinet division came in the afternoon and it directed BB to take measures to keep banks open for special circumstances during the restrictions from April 14 morning to April 21 midnight.