Staff Reporter:
Banks across Bangladesh will resume their regular operating hours starting today (July 31), allowing transactions from 10 am to 4 pm, according to an announcement by Bangladesh Bank yesterday.
The central bank has instructed the managing directors (MD) and chief executive officers (CEO) of all banks to adhere to the updated schedule.
As per the Bangladesh Bank directive, bank branches will conduct transactions from 10 am to 4 pm, while the branches will remain open until 6 pm for ancillary office work. All types of normal transac-tions will continue as usual.
Earlier, bank branches were open last Wednesday and Thursday after a three-day closure due to curfew and public holidays. From Sunday to Tuesday (July 28, 29, and 30), banking hours were reduced.
Since July 18, bank branches had limited services due to reduced internet speeds. The situation worsened as banks remained closed for five consecutive days because of weekend and public holidays.
During this period, foreign transactions were halted, affecting the flow of remittance due to the internet shutdown. Import-export activities were nearly suspended, and many ATM booths became non-functional due to a shortage of cash.
