Offices, banks reopen for four hours, curfew time cut

Curfew hours are cut short by seven hours and offices reopen for four hours for Wednesday-Thursday as quota-protest storms now dissipate into uneasy calm across Bangladesh.
The notification came Tuesday from government's public administration ministry, after days of some worst ordeals amid student-called 'complete shutdown' and government-declared closure of offices and businesses under cover of curfew and army deployment.
The country's financial institutions, capital market and other offices will run today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday) for the limited period after a three-day of general holiday the government declared by executive order amid spells of unrest.
As per the exigent timings, banking and other financial services will be given for four hours during the two days, leading to the weekend, while the share market run three hours from 11:00am in the morning to 2:00 pm in the afternoon.
The government announced the three-day holiday last Sunday as it enforced curfew countrywide since Friday midnight following deterioration of law-order situation in the country.
Law and order took a knock as a section of demonstrators ran riot with widespread attacks in the wake of the quota-reform movement led by general students.
"The banks' clients will be able to transact between 11:00 am in the morning and 3:00 pm in the afternoon from today," says the Bangladesh Bank.
Life and non-life insurance institutions will also remain open during the period, according to the insurance regulator -IDRA.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Md Saiful Islam told the FE that the banking services will be given to the clients during the hours.
"The nonbank financial institutions will also provide services during the period."
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court administration issued new office timings for the Appellate Division, the High Court Division and lower courts across the country. According to the notifications issued Tuesday, the Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court will continue its proceedings from curfew-relaxed period to 1.15 pm. If the curfew is relaxed before 9.00 am, the apex court proceedings will start at 9.00 am.
The benches of the High Court Division will continue proceedings from curfew breather to 4.15 pm with a 45-minute break from 1.15 pm to 2.00 pm. If the curfew is relaxed before 10.30 am, the HC benches' proceedings will start from 10.30 am.
"All the offices of the Appellate Division and HC Division will remain open during the curfew period and the offices of both the divisions will be kept closed if the government declares general holiday through executive order," says the apex-court firman
All the lower courts and tribunals across the country will continue their proceedings during the curfew-relaxed period. "The authorities will have to take adequate steps for ensuring security for the judges and other officials of the courts."
All the lower courts and tribunals will be kept closed if the government declares general holiday by executive order.
"However, one magistrate or more will be on duty all the time in all the Chief Judicial Magistrate courts and Chief Metropolitan Magistrate courts during the holidays."
Registrar-General of the Supreme Court Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan issued three notifications as regards the court functioning.
Bus operators are considering resuming bus services on short routes, but the railway is yet to take any decision on restarting train operation as general holidays ended on Tuesday.
Abul Kalam Azad of Mohakhali Bus Terminal said buses might operate on short distance due to their inability to make two trips.
But a final decision would be taken after getting a police clearance, he said.
"We want to run buses but waiting for a clearance from Gazipur as most of the buses of Mohakhali terminal go through this road," he told the FE over phone.
However, BR sources say train operation cannot be started until internet facility is restored as the sale of online tickets is not possible without network.
Since unrest in Dhaka city spreads across the country, the BR announced suspension of all rail services for an indefinite period last Friday.

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