DHAKA: Bangladesh cut office and shop hours and banned decorative lighting at weddings starting on Friday (Apr 3) as it seeks to conserve energy stocks after global price hikes due to the Middle East war.
Bangladesh imports 95 per cent of its oil and gas needs, mostly from the Middle East and said that, while there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel, it hopes to mitigate the effects of “unsecured” supply lines.
About 60 per cent of its electricity is generated using imported gas, while diesel is primarily used for farming in the region.
Dhaka ordered all government, private offices and banks to shut an hour earlier each day starting Friday until further notice.
“The fuel supply line is unsecured … both government and private offices will run from 9am to 4pm, while banks will remain open from 9am to 3pm,” top government secretary Nasimul Gani told reporters at a news briefing late Thursday.
Shopping centres, which normally stay open late, will now shut by 6pm, although stores selling food supplies are expected to keep their usual hours.
Decorative lighting, which was initially banned at malls, has now been extended to include weddings.
Weddings in Bangladesh are celebrations that entertain hundreds of guests at brightly decorated venues and can often co-opt large parts of a neighbourhood.
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