Banks open for limited hours till April 28
Bangladesh Bank has asked lenders to continue operating on a restricted 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 1:00pm in this era. However, branches will stay 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 could extend the strict nationwide lockdown that started out last Wednesday by another week amid an alarming rise in coronavirus infections and deaths.
Previously April 12, the central bank ordered all lenders to close all branches from April 14 as a part of numerous restrictions located on public movement.
Upon hearing the announcement, a large number 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 use for a limited number of hours.
However, staff of the banks have found it difficult to go to their offices as all public transport movement had been suspended.
On condition of anonymity, an official of an exclusive bank in Dhanmondi said he lived in Mirpur and it had been very difficult to control transport to his workplace.
Due to this fact, he sometimes was spending way more when compared to a fare and was usually finding yourself late to work because of the lack of transportation, he added.
