In view of the global energy crisis caused by the ongoing Middle East war situation, the government has decided to revise the working hours of public and private offices.
As per the decision, offices will operate from 9am to 4pm on Sunday. The offices normally run from 9am to 5pm. However, the instruction will remain effective until further notice.
According to a circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Saturday, all government and private offices will remain open from 9am to 4pm, Sunday through Thursday.
Friday and Saturday will continue as weekly holidays. Emergency services will remain outside the purview of the new office schedule.
In addition, shopping malls must remain closed after 6pm, and instructions were issued to stop decorative lighting at wedding venues.
The Supreme Court will issue necessary instructions regarding court hours. For private sector industries, factories, and institutions, the Ministry of Labour and Employment will provide directives on working hours in accordance with labour laws.
Emergency services generally include electricity, water, gas and other energy supplies, fire service, port operations, sanitation activities, telephone and internet services, postal services, and vehicles and personnel engaged in these functions.
Hospitals, doctors and medical staff, vehicles carrying medicines and medical equipment, as well as media organisations, are also considered emergency services.
The government has also revised the banking hours, which will take effect from Sunday. The transaction hours at the banks have been reduced by one hour.
According to the central bank’s circular, offices will operate from 10am to 5pm, while customer transactions will take place between 10am and 3pm. Friday and Saturday will remain weekly holidays.
Earlier in November 2022, the government fixed office hours for government, semi-government, autonomous, and semi-autonomous institutions from 9am to 4pm to save electricity and energy. After a long period, in June 2024, offices returned to normal hours, operating from 9am to 5pm.
Currently, office hours have once again been reduced by one hour due to the global energy crisis.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Education will hold discussions with stakeholders and present a proposal at the next cabinet meeting over the implementation of an electricity-saving action plan in educational institutions.
Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani said at a press briefing following Thursday’s Cabinet meeting that the Ministry of Education will issue separate instructions for schools and colleges, as further discussions were needed in some areas.
He added that the ministry will begin issuing directives for schools and educational institutions from Sunday, ensuring that academic activities are not disrupted.
The Ministry of Education’s plan was to hold classes six days a week, with a mix of online and in person teaching. The proposal under consideration involves three days of online classes and three days of physical classes, alternating between the two formats.
During online sessions, teachers would be physically present at the institutions to deliver lessons. Practical classes would be conducted in person.
According to the primary school teachers, conducting online classes effectively in government primary schools will be quite difficult. Earlier during the Covid-19 pandemic, online classes were announced, but in reality, most of the students at their school could not be included in online learning.
After nearly 40 days of holidays for Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and other occasions, educational institutions reopened on 29 March. Meanwhile, many countries have been hit by an energy crisis due to the Iran war, and Bangladesh has also been affected.
