Dhaka: The government has announced a series of measures aimed at stabilizing the fuel oil supply and mitigating the effects of the current global situation. The decisions include reducing office hours and mandating that markets close after 6:00 pm.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the new regulations dictate that all government and private offices will operate from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, with banking activities available to the public from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. All shopping malls and markets across the country are required to close by 6:00 pm, although essential services such as kitchen markets, food outlets, and pharmacies are exempt from this order.
The decisions were made during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Room in the Parliament Secretariat. Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, in a briefing to journalists at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, stated that these measures were taken in response to fuel supply disruptions caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly attended the briefing, where further details of the government’s cost-cutting measures were revealed. For the next three months, no new vehicles, watercraft, or aircraft will be purchased. The procurement of new equipment, including computers, is suspended, and internal training has been reduced by 50 percent, with all foreign training under government funding on hold until further notice.
Ghani also highlighted a 50 percent cut in expenditures on meetings and seminars, as well as a 30 percent reduction in government spending on power, energy, and gas sectors. Measures to decrease unnecessary travel expenses by 30 percent were also discussed.
New directives will be introduced for the education sector, with the Ministry of Education set to issue phased instructions starting Sunday. The aim is to implement these measures without negatively impacting the education system. To alleviate traffic congestion in the capital during school hours, the government plans to introduce electric buses for school students. Educational institutions participating in the initiative will be able to import buses duty-free, while the private sector will incur a 20 percent duty for commercial imports. Only new buses will be permitted for import.
To ensure a stable fuel supply, the government is increasing imports from alternative sources, with initiatives already underway to obtain fuel from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.